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Portrait and * * 
* * Biographical 



RgGORD 



OF 



HUNTERDON 



AND 



WARREN COUNTIES 

New Jersey 



Gontaining Portraits and Biographies of many well known 
Citizens of the Past and Present. 



Together with Portraits and Biographies of all the Presidents 

of the United States. 

«$• *f* «f* •>!• •$• *?• ♦§• 
******* 

CHAPMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY 
New York Chicago 

1898 



-1. 








preface: 



"HK greatest of English historians, Macaulay, and one of the most brilliant writers of the 
present century, has said: "The history of a country is best told in a record of the lives of its 
people." In conformity with this idea, the Portrait and Biographical Record of this 
county has been prepared. Instead of going to musty records, and taking therefrom dry statistical 
matter that can be appreciated by but few, our corps of writers have gone to the people, the men 
and women who have, by their enterprise and industry, brought the county to a rank second to none 
among those comprising this great and noble state, and from their lips have the story of their life 
struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent public. 
In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming 
generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy have 
accumulated wealth. It tells how others, with limited advantages for securing an education, have 
become learned men and women, with an influence extending throughout the length and breadth of 
the land. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and 
whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to 
succeed, and records how that success has usually crowned their efforts. It tells also of many, very 
many, who, not seeking the applause of the world, have pursued "the even tenor of their way," 
content to have it said of them, as Christ said of the woman performing a deed of mercy — ' 'They have 
done what they could. ' ' It tells how that many in the pride and strength of young manhood left 
the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, 
and at their country's call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the 
Union was restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every 
woman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those who follow after. 

Coming generations will appreciate this volume and preserve it as a sacred treasure, from the 
fact that it contains so much that would never find its way into public records, and which would 
otherwise be inaccessible. Great care has been taken in the compilation of the work, and every 
opportunity possible given to those represented to insure correctness in what has been written, and 
the publishers flatter themselves that they give to their readers a work with few errors of consequence. 
In addition to the biographical sketches, portraits of a number of representative citizens are given. 

The faces of some, and biographical sketches of many, will be missed i*n this volume. For this 
the publishers are not to blame. Not having a proper conception of the work, some refused to give 
the information necessary to compile a sketch, while others were indifferent. Occasionally some 
member of the family would oppose the enterprise, and on account of such opposition the support of 
the interested one would be withheld. In a few instances men could never be found, though 
repeated calls were made at their residences or places of business. 

Chapman Publishing Co. 

July, 1898. 



Portraits and Biographies 



OF THE 



PRESIDENTS 



OF THE 



UNITED STATES 








>l 



gpll 












GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



^"""HE Father of our Country was born in West- 
/C moreland County, Va., February 22, 1732. 
V2/ His parents were Augustine and Mary (Ball) 
Washington. The family to which he belonged 
has not been satisfactorily traced i in England. 
His great-grandfather, John Washington, emi- 
grated to Virginia about 1657, and became a 
prosperous planter. He had two sons, Lawrence 
and John. The former married Mildred Warner, 
and had three children, John, Augustine and 
Mildred. Augustine, the father of George, first 
married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, 
two of whom, Lawrence and Augustine, reached 
maturity. Of six children by his second mar- 
riage, George was the eldest, the others being 
Betty, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles and 
Mildred. 

Augustine Washington, the father of George, 
died in 1743, leaving a large landed property. 
To his eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an 
estate on the Potomac, afterwards known as Mt. 
Vernon, and to George he left the parental resi- 
dence. George received only such education as 
the neighborhood schools afforded, save for a 
short time after he left school, when he received 
private instruction in mathematics. His spelling 
was rather defective. 'Remarkable stories are 
told of his great physical strength and develop- 
ment at an early age. He was an acknowledged 
■x among his companions, and was early 
noted for that nobleness of character, fairness and 
veracity which characterized, his whole life. 

When George was fourteen years old he had a 
desire to go to sea, and a midshipman's warrant 
was secured for him, but through the opposition 
of his mother the idea was abandoned. Two 



years later he was appointed surveyor to the im- 
mense estate of Lord Fairfax. In this business 
lie spent three years in a rough frontier life, 
gaining experience which afterwards proved very 
essential to him. In 1751, though only nineteen 
years of age, he was appointed Adjutant, with the 
rank of Major, in the Virginia militia, then being 
trained for active service against the 1 French and 
Indians. Soon after this he sailed to the West 
Indies with his brother Lawrence, whjo werlt there 
to restore his health. They soon returned, and 
in the summer of 1752 Lawrence died, leaving a 
large fortune to an infant daughter, who did not 
long survive him. On her demise the estate of 
Mt. Vernon was given to George. 

Upon the arrival of Robert Binwiddie as Lieu- 
tenant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia 
was reorganized, and the province divided into 
four military districts, of which the northern was 
assigned to Washington as Adjutant- General. 
Shortly after this a very perilous mission, \ivhich 
others had refused, was assigned him and ac- 
cepted. This was to proceed to the French post 
near Lake Erie, in northwestern Pennsylvania. 
The distance to be traversed was about, six hun- 
dred miles. Winter was at hand, and the journey 
was to be made without military] escort, through 
/a - territory occupied by Indians, j The trip was a 
perilous one, and several times he nearly lost his 
life, but he returned in safety and furnished a full 
and useful report of his expedition. A regiment 
of three hundred men was raised in Virginia and 
put in command of Col. Joshua Fry, and Maj. 
Washington was commissioned Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel, war was then begun' against the 
French and Indians, in which Washington took 



SO 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



a most important part. In the memorable event 
of July 9, 1755, known as "Braddock's defeat," 
Washington was almost the only officer of dis- 
tinction who escaped from the calamities of the 
day with life and honor. 

Having been for five years in the military serv- 
ice, and having vainly sought promotion in the 
royal army, he took advantage of the fall of Ft. Du- 
quesne and the expulsion of the French from the 
valley of the Ohio to resign his commission. Soon 
after he entered the Legislature, where, although 
not a leader, he took an active and important 
part. January 17, 1759, he married Mrs. Martha 
(Dandridgc) Custis, the wealthy widow of John 
Parke Custis. 

When the British Parliament had closed the 
port of Boston, the cry went up throughout the 
provinces, ' ' The cause oi Boston is the cause of 
us all! ' It was then, at the suggestion of Vir- 
ginia, that a congress of all the colonies was 
called to meet at Philadelphia September 5, 
1774, to secure their common liberties, peaceably 
if possible. To this congress Col. Washington 
was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the 
congress re-assembled, when the hostile inten- 
tions of England were plainly apparent. The 
battles of Concord and Eexiugton had been fought, 
and among the first acts of this congress was the 
election of a . commander-in-chief of the Colonial 
forces. This high and responsible office was con- 
ferred upon Washington, who was still a member 
of the congress. He accepted it on June 19, but 
upon the express condition that he receive no sal- 
ary. He would keep an exact account of ex- 
penses, and expect congress to pay them and 
nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch 
to trace the military acts of Washington, to whom 
the fortunes and liberties of the people of this 
country were so long confided. The war was 
conducted by him under every possible disadvan- 
tage; and while his forces often met with reverses, 
yet he overcame every obstacle, and after seven 
years of heroic devotion and matchless skill he 
gained liberty for the greatest nation of earth. 
On December 23, 1783, Washington, in a parting 
address of surpassing beauty, resigned his com- 
mission as Commander-in-Chief of the army to the 



Continental Congress sitting at Annapolis. He 
retired immediately to Mt. Vernon and resumed 
his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning 
all connection with public life. 

In February, 1789, Washington was unani- 
mously elected President, and at the expiration 
of his first term he was unanimously re-elected. 
At the end of this term many were anxious that he 
be re-elected, but he absolutely refused a third 
nomination. On March 4, 1797, at the expiration 
of his second term as President, he returned to his 
home, hoping to pass there his few remaining 
years free from the annoyances of public life. 
Eater in the year, however, his repose seemed 
likely to be interrupted by war with France. At 
the prospect of such a war he was again urged to 
take command of the army, but he chose his sub- 
ordinate officers and left them the charge of mat- 
ters in the field, which he superintended from his 
home. In accepting the command, he made the 
reservation that he was not to be in the field until 
it was necessary. In the midst of these prepara- 
tions his life was suddenly cut off. December 12 
he took a severe cold from a ride in the rain, 
which, settling in his throat, produced inflamma- 
tion, and terminated fatally on the night of the 
14th. On the 18th his body was borne with mili- 
tary honors to its final resting-place, and interred 
in the family vault at Mt. Vernon. 

Of the character of Washington it is impossible 
to speak but in terms of the highest respect and 
admiration. The more we see of the operations 
of our government, and the more deeply we feel 
the difficulty of uniting all opinions in a common 
interest, the more highly we must estimate the 
force of his talent and character, which have been 
able to challenge the reverence of all parties, 
and principles, and nations, and to win a fame as 
extended as the limits of the globe, and which we 
cannot but believe will be as lasting as the exist- 
ence of man. 

In person, Washington was unusually tall, erect 
and well proportioned, and his muscular strength 
•reat. His features were of a beausiful sym- 
metry. He commanded respect without any ap- 
pearance of haughtiness, and was ever serious 
without being dull. 




JOHN ADAMS. 




JOHN ADAMS. 



30HN ADAMS, the second President and the 
first Vice-President of the United States, was 
born in Braiptree (now Quincy) Mass., and 
about ten miles from Boston, October 19, 1735. 
His great-grandfather, Henry Adams, emigrated 
from England about 1640, with a family of eight 
sons, and settled at Braintree. The parents of 
John were John and Susannah (Bo3dston) 
Adams. His father, who was a farmer of limited 
means, also engaged in the business of shoe- 
making. He gave his eldest son, John, a classical 
education at Harvard College. John graduated 
in 1755, and at once took charge of the school at 
Worcester, Mass. This he found but a ' ' school 
of affliction, ' ' from which he endeavored to gain 
relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the 
study of law. For this purpose he placed himself 
under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. 
He had thought seriously of the clerical profes- 
sion, but seems to have been turned from this by 
what he termed ' ; the frightful engines of ecclesi- 
astical councils, of diabolical malice, and Calviu- 
istic good nature," of the operations of which he 
had been a witness in his native town. He was 
well fitted for the legal profession, possessing a 
clear, sonorous voice, being ready and fluent of 
speech, and having quick perceptive powers. He 
gradually gamed a practice, and in 1764 married 
Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, and a 
lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his 
marriage, in 1765, the attempt at parliamentary 
taxation turned him from law to politics. He 
took initial steps toward holding a town meeting, 
and the resolutions he offered on the subject be- 
came very popular throughout the province, and 
were adopted word for word b)' over forty differ- 
ent towns. He moved to Boston in 1768, and 
became one of the most courageous and promi- 
nent advocates of the popular cause, and was 
chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg- 
islature) in 1770. 

Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first dele- 



gates from Massachusetts to the first Continent- 
al Congress, which met in 1774. Here he dis- 
tinguished himself by his capacity for business 
and for debate, and advocated the movement for 
independence against the majority of the mem- 
bers. In May, 1776, he moved and carried a res- 
olution in Congress that the Colonies should 
assume the duties of self-government. Pie was a 
prominent member of the committee of five ap- 
pointed June 11 to prepare a declaration of inde- 
pendence. This article was drawn by Jeffer | 
but on Adams devolved the task of battling it 
through Congress iu a three-days debate. 

On the day after the Declaration of Independ- 
ence was passed, while his soul was yet warm 
with the glow; 'of excited feeling, he wrote a letter 
to his wife, which, as we read it now, seems to 
have been dictated by the spirit of prophecy. 
"Yesterday," he says, "the greatest question 
was decided that ever was debated in America; 
and greater, perhaps, never was or will be de- 
cided among men. A resolution was | passed 
without one dissenting colony, 'that these United 
States are, and of right ought to be, free land in- 
dependent states.' The day is passed. The 
Fourth of July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch 
in the history of America. I am apt to believe it 
will be celebrated by succeeding generations as 
the great anniversary festival. It ought to-be 
commemorated as the day of deliverance by 
solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God. It 
ought to be solemnized with pomp, shows, games, 
sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations 
from one end of the continent to the other, from 
this time forward forever. You will think me 
transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I 
am well aware of the toil and blood and treas- 
ure that it will cost to maintain this declaration 
and support and defend these States; yet, through 
all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and 
gloty. I can see that the end is worth more than 
all the means, and that posterity will triumph, 



24 



JOHN ADAMvS. 



although you and I may rue, which I hope we 
shall not." 

In November, 1777, -Mr. Adams was appointed 
a delegate to France, and to co-operate with Ben- 
jamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then 
in Paris, in the endeavor to obtain assistance in 
arms and money from the French government. 
This was a severe trial to his patriotism, as it 
separated him from his home, compelled him to 
cross the ocean in winter, and exposed him to 
great peril of capture by the. British cruisers, who 
were seeking him. He left France June 17, 
1779. In September of the same year he was 
again chosen to go to Paris, and there hold 1 iin- 
self in readiness to negotiate a treaty of peace and 
of commerce with Great Britain, as soon as the 
British cabinet might be found willing to listen 
to such proposals. He sailed for France in No- 
vember, and from there he went to Holland, where 
he negotiated important loaus and formed im- 
portant commercial treaties. 

Finally, a treaty of peace with England was 
signed, January 2i, 1783. The re-action from the 
excitement, toil and anxiety through which Mr. 
Adams had passed threw him into a fever. After 
suffering from a continued fever and becoming- 
feeble and emaciated, he was advised to go to 
land to drink the waters of Bath. While in 
England, still drooping ami desponding, he re- 
ceived dispatches from his own government urg- 
ing the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to 
negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health 
was delicate, yet he immediately set out, and 
through storm, on sea, on horseback and foot, he 
made the trip. 

February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. 
Adams envoy to the Court of St. James. Here 
he met face to face the King of England, who 
had so long regarded him as a traitor. As Eng- 
land did not condescend to appoint a minister to 
the United States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he 
was accomplishing but little, he sought pe 

to return to his own couutry, where he ar- 
rived iu June, T788. 

When Washington was first chosen President, 

ims, rendered illti trioi 1 his signal 

services at home and abroad, was chosen Vice- 



President. Again, at the second election of Wash- 
ington as President, Adams was chosen Vice- 
President. In 1796, Washington retired from 
public life, and Mr. Adams was elected President, 
though not without much opposition. Serving 
in this office four years, he was succeeded bj- Mr. 
Jefferson, his opponent in politics. 

While Mr. Adams was Vice-President the 
great French Revolution shook the continent of 
Europe, and it was upon this point that he was 
at issue with the majority of his countrymen, led 
by Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Adams felt no sympathy 
the French people in their struggle, for he 
had no confidence in their power of self-govern- 
ment, and he utterly abhorred the class of atheist 
philosophers who, he claimed, caused it. On the 
other hand, Jefferson's sympathies were strongly 
enlisted iu behalf of the French people. Hence 
originated . the alienation between these distiu- 
tinguished men, and the two powerful parties were 
thus soon organized, with Adams at the head of 
the one whose sympathies were with England, 
and Jefferson leading the other in sympathy with 
France. 

The Fourth of Jul}', 1826, which completed the 
half-century since the signing of the Declaration 
of Independence, arrived, and there were but 
three of the signers of that immortal instrument 
left upon the earth to hail its morning light. 
And, as it is well known, on that day two of 
these finished their 'earthby pilgrimage, a coinci- 
dence so remarkable as to seem miraculous. For 
a few days before Mr. Adams had been ra] 
failing, and on the morning of the Fourth he 
found himself too weak to rise from his bed. On 
being requested to name a toast for the cus- 
if the day, he exclaimed 
"Independence forever!" When the da] was 
ushered in by the ringing of bells and the 6 
of cannons, lie was asked by one of his attend- 
ants if he knew what day it was? He re; 
' ' O yes, it is the glorious Fourth of July — God 
bless it — God bless you all!" In the course of 
; 'eat and glorious 

day." The last words he uttered were, " J« 
son But he had, at one o'clock, 

I >irit into the hands of his God. 




THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



"HOMAS JEFFERSON was born April 2, 
1743, at Shadwell, Albemarle County, Va. 
His parents were Peter and Jane (Ran- 
dolph) Jefferson, the former a native of Wales, 
and the latter born in London. To them were 
born six daughters and two sons, of whom Thomas 
was the elder. When fourteen years of age his 
father died. He received a most liberal educa- 
tion, having been kept diligently at school from 
the time he was five years of age. In 1760 he 
entered William and Mary College. Williams- 
burg was then the seat of the Colonial court, and 
it was the abode of fashion and splendor. Young 
Jefferson, who was then seventeen years old, lived 
somewhat expensively, keeping fine horses, and 
going much into gay society; yet he was ear- 
nestly devoted to his studies, and irreproachable in 
his morals. In the second year of his college 
course, moved by some unexplained impulse, he 
discarded his old companions and pursuits, and 
often devoted fifteen hours a day to hard study. 
He thus attained very high intellectual culture, 
and a like excellence in philosophy and the lan- 
guages. 

Immediately upon leaving college he began the 
study of law. For the short time he continued 
in the practice of his profession he rose rapidly, 
and distinguished himself by his energy and 
acuteness as a lawyer. But the times called for 
greater action. The policy of England had awak- 
ened the spirit of resistance in the American Col- 
onies, and the enlarged views which Jefferson had 
ever entertained soon led him into active politi- 
cal life. In 1769 he was chosen a member of the 
Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he mar- 



ried Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beautiful, 
wealthy, and highly accomplished young widow. 

In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress, 
where, though a silent member, his abilities as a 
writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he 
was placed upon a number of important com- 
mittees, and was chairman of the one appointed 
for the drawing up of a declaration of independ- 
ence. This committee consisted of Thomas Jef- 
ferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger 
Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, 
as chairman, was appointed to draw up the paper. 
Franklin and Adams suggested a few verbal 
changes before it was submitted to Congress. On 
June 28, a few slight changes were made in it by 
Congress, and it was passed and signed July 4, 
1776. 

In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to 
Patrick Henry as Governor of Virginia. At one 
time the British officer Tarleton sent a secret 
expedition to Monticello to capture the Governor. 
Scarcely five minutes elapsed after the hurried 
escape of Mr. Jefferson and his family ere his 
mansion was in possession of the British troops. 
His wife's health, never very good, was much 
injured by this excitement, and in the summer 
of 1782 she died. 

Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. 
Two years later he was appointed Minister Pleni- 
potentiary to France. Returning to the United 
States in September, 1789, he became Secretary 
of State in Washington's cabinet. This position 
he resigned January 1, 1794. In 1797, he was 
chosen Vice-President, and four years later was 
elected President over Mr. Adams, with Aaron 



28 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



Burr as Vice-President. In 1804 he was re- 
elected with wonderful unanimity, George Clin- 
ton being elected Vice-President. 

The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second ad- 
ministration was disturbed by an event which 
threatened the tranquillity and peace of the Union; 
this was the conspiracy of Aarou Burr. Defeated 
in the late election to the Vice-Presidency, and 
led on by an unprincipled ambition, this extraor- 
dinary man formed the plan of a military ex- 
pedition into the Spanish territories on our south- 
western frontier, for the purpose of forming there 
a new repirblic. This was generally supposed 
to have been a mere pretext; and although it has 
not been generally known what his real plans 
were, there is no doubt that they were of a far 
more dangerous character. 

In 1809, at the expiration of the second term 
for which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he de- 
termined to retire from political life. For a period 
of nearly forty years he had been continually be- 
fore the public, and all that time had been em- 
ployed in offices of the greatest trust and respon- 
sibility. Having thus devoted the best part of 
his life to the service of his country, he now felt 
desirous of that rest which his declining years re- 
quired, and upon the organization of the new ad- 
ministration, in March, 1809, he bade farewell for- 
ever to public life and retired to Monticello, his 
famous country home, which, next to Mt. Vernon, 
was the most distinguished residence in the laud. 

The Fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth an- 
niversary of the Declaration of American Inde- 
pendence, great preparations were made in every 
part of the Union for its celebration as the nation's 
jubilee, and the citizens of Washington, to add to 
the solemnity of the occasion, invited Mr. Jeffer- 
son, as the framer and one of the few surviving 
signers of the Declaration, to participate in their 
festivities. But an illness, which had been of 
several weeks' duration and had been continually 
increasing, compelled him to decline the invita- 
tion. 

On the 2d of July the disease under which he 
was laboring left him, but in such a reduced 
state that his medical attendants entertained no 
hope of his recovery. From this time he was 



perfectly sensible that his last hour was at hand. 
On the next day, which was Monday, he asked 
of those around him the day of the month, and 
on being told it was the 3d of Juty, he ex- 
pressed the earnest wish that he might be per- 
mitted to breathe the air of the fiftieth anniver- 
sary. His prayer was heard — that day whose 
dawn was hailed with such rapture through our 
land burst upon his eyes, and then they were 
closed forever. And what a noble consummation 
of a noble life ! To die on that day — the birth- 
day of a nation — the day which his own name 
and his own act had rendered glorious, to die 
amidst the rejoicings and festivities of a whole 
nation, who looked up to him as the author, un- 
der God, of their greatest blessings, was all that 
was wanting to fill up the record of his life. 

Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin- 
dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear 
him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. 
Hand in hand they had stood forth, the cham- 
pions of freedom; hand in hand, during the dark 
and desperate struggle of the Revolution, they 
had cheered and animated their desponding coun- 
trymen; for half a century they had labored to- 
gether for the good of the country, and now hand 
in hand they departed. In their lives they had 
been united in the same great cause of liberty, 
and in their deaths they were not divided. 

In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather 
above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes 
were light, his hair, originally red, in after life be- 
came white and silvery, his complexion was fair, 
his forehead broad, and his whole countenance 
intelligent and thoughtful. He possessed great 
fortitude of mind as well as personal courage, and 
his command of temper was such that his oldest 
and most intimate friends never recollected to 
have seen him in a passion. His manners, though 
dignified, were simple and unaffected, and his 
hospitality was so unbounded that all found at 
his house a ready welcome. In conversation he 
was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic, and his 
language was remarkably pure and correct. He 
was a finished classical scholar, and in his writ- 
ings is discernible the "care with which he formed 
his style upon the best models of antiquity. 




JAMES MADISON. 



JAMES MADISON. 



3 AMES MADISON, "Father of the Consti- 
tution," and fourth President of the United 
States, was born March 16, 1757, and died 
at his home in Virginia June 28, 1836. The 
name of James Madison is inseparably connected 
with most of the important events in that heroic 
period of our country during which the founda- 
tions of this great republic were laid. He was 
the last of the founders of the Constitution of the 
United States to be called to his eternal reward. 

The Madison family were among the early emi- 
grants to the New World, landing upon the shores 
of the Chesapeake but fifteen years after the settle- 
ment of Jamestown. The father of James Madison 
was an opulent planter, residing upon a very fine 
estate called Montpelier, in Orange County, Va. 
It was but twenty -five miles from the home of Jef- 
ferson at Monticello, and the closest personal and 
political attachment existed between these illustri- 
ous men from their early youth until death. 

The early education of Mr. Madison was con- 
ducted mostly at home under a private tutor. At 
the age of eighteen he was sent to Princeton Col- 
lege, in New Jersey. Here he applied himself to 
study with the most imprudent zeal, allowing him- 
self for months but three hours' sleep out of the 
twenty-four. His health thus became so seriously 
impaired that he never recovered any vigor of 
constitution. He graduated in 1 77 1 , with a feeble 
body, but with a character of utmost purity, and 
a mind highly disciplined and richly stored with 
learning, which embellished and gave efficiency 
to his subsequent career. 

Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study 
of law and a course of extensive and systematic 
reading. This educational course, the spirit of 
the times in which he lived, and the society with 
which he associated, all combined to inspire him 
with a strong love of liberty, and to train him for 
his life-work as a statesman. 

In the spring of 1776, when twenty-six years of 



age, he was elected a member of the Virginia Con- 
vention to frame the constitution of the State. The 
next year (1777), he was a candidate for the Gen- 
eral Assembly. He refused to treat the whisky -lov- 
ing voters, and consequently lost his election; but 
those who had witnessed the talent, energy and 
public spirit of the modest young man enlisted 
themselves in his behalf, and he was appointed to 
the Executive Council. 

Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were 
Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison re- 
mained member of the Council, and their apprecia- 
tion of his intellectual, social and moral worth 
contributed not a little to his subsequent eminence. 
In the year 1780 he was elected a member of the 
Continental Congress. Here he met the most il- 
lustrious men in our land, and he was immediately 
assigned to one of the most conspicuous positions 
among them. For three years he continued in Con- 
gress, one of its most active and influential mem- 
bers. In 1784, his term having expired, he was 
elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. 

No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the 
utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no 
national government, and no power to form trea- 
ties which would be binding, or to enforce law. 
There was not any State more prominent than 
Virginia in the declaration that an efficient na- 
tional government must be formed. In January, 
1786, Mr. Madison carried a resolution through 
the General Assembly of Virginia, inviting the 
other States to appoint commissioners to meet in 
convention at Annapolis to discuss this subject. 
Five States only were represented. The conven- 
tion, however, issued another call, drawn up by 
Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their 
delegates to Philadelphia in May, 1787, to draft 
a Constitution for the United States, to take the 
place of the Confederate Eeague. The delegates 
met at the time appointed. Every State but 
Rhode Island was represented. George Washing- 



32 



JAMES MADISON. 



ton was chosen president of the convention, and the 
present Constitution of the United States was then 
and there formed. There was, perhaps, no mind 
and no pen more active in framing this immortal 
document than the mind and the pen of James 
Madison. 

The Constitution, adopted by a vote of eighty-one 
to seventy-nine, was to be presented to the several 
States for acceptance. But grave solicitude was 
felt. Should it be rejected, we should be left but a 
conglomeration of independent States, with but 
little power at home and littl e respect abroad. Mr. 
Madison was elected by the convention to draw up 
an address to the people of the United States, ex- 
pounding the principles of the Constitution, and 
urging its adoption. There was great opposition 
to it at first, but at length it triumphed over all, 
and went into effect in 1789. 

Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre- 
sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became 
the avowed leader of the Republican party. While 
in New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. 
Todd, a young widow of remarkable power of fas- 
cination, whom he married. She was in person 
and character queenly, and probaby no lady has 
thus far occupied so prominent a position in the 
very peculiar society which has constituted our 
republican court as did Mrs. Madison. 

Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under 
Jefferson, and at the close of his administration 
was chosen President. At this time the encroach- 
ments of England had brought us to the verge of 
war. British orders in council destroyed our com- 
merce, and our flag was exposed to constant insult. 
Mr. Madison was a man of peace. Scholarly in 
his taste, retiring in his disposition, war had no 
charms for him. But the meekest spirit can be 
roused. It makes one's blood boil, even now, to 
think of an American ship brought to upon the 
ocean by the guns of an English cruiser. A 
young lieutenant steps on board and orders the 
crew to be paraded before him. With great non- 
chalance he selects any number whom he may 
please to designate as British subjects, orders them 
clown the ship's side into his boat, and places them 
on the gundeck of his man-of-war, to fight, by 
compulsion, the battles of England. This right 



of search and impressment no efforts of our Gov- 
ernment could induce the British cabinet to re- 
linquish. 

On the 18th of June, 181 2, President Madison 
gave his approval to an act of Congress declaring 
war against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the 
bitter hostility of the Federal party to the war, the 
country in general approved; and Mr. Madison, 
on the 4th of March, 18 13, was re-elected by a 
large majority, and entered upon his second term 
of office. This is not the place to describe the 
various adventures of this war on the land and on 
the water. Our infant navy then laid the found- 
ations of its renown in grappling with the most 
formidable power which ever swept the seas. The 
contest commenced in earnest by the appearance 
of a British fleet, early in February, 18 13, in 
Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole coast 
of the United States under blockade. 

The Emperor of Russia offered his services as 
mediator. America accepted; England refused. 
A British force of five thousand men landed on the 
banks of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into 
Chesapeake Bay, and marched rapidly, b)' way of 
Bladensburg, upon Washington. 

The straggling little city of Washington was 
thrown into consternation. The cannon of the 
brief conflict at Bladensburg echoed through the 
streets of the metropolis. The whole population 
fled from the city. The President, leaving Mrs. 
Madison in the White House, with her carriage 
drawn up at the door to await his speedy return, 
hurried to meet the officers in a council of war. 
He met our troops utterly routed, and he could not 
go back without danger of being captured. But 
few hours elapsed ere the Presidential Mansion, 
the Capitol, and all the public buildings in Wash- 
ington were in flames. 

The war closed after two years of fighting, and 
on February 13, 1815, the treaty of peace was 
signed at Ghent. On the 4th of March, 18 17, his 
second term of office expired, and he resigned the 
Presidential chair to his friend, James Monroe. 
He retired to his beautiful home at Montpelier, and 
there passed the remainder of his days. On June 
28, 1836, at the age of eighty-five years, he fell 
asleep in death. Mrs. Madison died July 12, 1849. 




JAMES MONROE. 



JAMES MONROE. 



(TAMES MONROE, the fifth President of the 
United States, was born in Westmoreland 
Q) County, Va., April 28, 1758. His early life 
was passed at the place of his nativity. His an- 
cestors had for many years resided in the province 
in which he was born. When he was seventeen 
years old, and in process of completing his educa- 
tion at William and Mary College, the Colonial 
Congress, assembled at Philadelphia to deliberate 
upon the unjust and manifold oppressions of Great 
Britain, declared the separation of the Colonies, 
and promulgated the Declaration of Independence. 
Had he been born ten years before, it is highly 
probable that he would have been one of the 
signers of that celebrated instrument. At this 
time he left school and enlisted among the pa- 
triots. 

He joined the army when everything looked 
hopeless and gloomy. The number of deserters 
increased from day to day. The invading armies 
came pouring in, and the Tories not only favored 
the cause of the mother country, but disheartened 
the new recruits, who were sufficiently terrified 
at the prospect of contending with an enemy 
whom they had been taught to deem invincible. 
To such brave spirits as James Monroe, who went 
right onward undismayed through difficulty and 
danger, the United States owe their political 
emancipation. The young cadet joined the ranks 
and espoused the cause of his injured country, 
with a firm determination to live or die in her 
strife for liberty. Firmly, yet sadly, he shared in 
the melancholy retreat from Harlem Heights 
and White Plains, and accompanied the dispirited 
army as it fled before its foes through New Jersey. 
In four months after the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, the patriots had been beaten in seven 
battles. At the battle of Trenton he led the van- 
guard, and in the act of charging upon the enemy 
he received a wound in the left shoulder. 



As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was 
promoted to be captain of infantry, and, having re- 
covered from his wounds, he rejoined the army. 
He, however, receded from the line of promotion 
by becoming an officer on the staff of Eord Ster- 
ling. During the campaigns of 1777 and 1778, 
in the actions of Brandywine, Germantown and 
Monmouth, he continued aide-de-camp; but be- 
coming desirous to regain his position in the 
army, he exerted himself to collect a regiment for 
the Virginia line. This scheme failed, owing to 
the exhausted condition of the State. Upon this 
failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at 
that period Governor, and pursued with consid- 
erable ardor the study of common law. He did 
not, however, entirely lay aside the knapsack for 
the green bag, but on the invasion of the enemy 
served as a volunteer during the two years of his 
legal pursuits. 

In 1782 he was elected from King George 
County a member of the legislature of Virginia, 
and by that body he was elevated to a seat in the 
Executive Council. He was thus honored with 
the confidence of his fellow-citizens at twenty- 
three years of age, and having at this early period 
displayed some of that ability and aptitude for 
legislation which were afterward employed with 
unremitting energy for the public good, he was 
in the succeeding year chosen a member of the 
Congress of the United States. 

Deeply as Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of 
the old Confederacy, he was opposed to the new 
Constitution, thinking, with many others of the 
Republican party, that it gave too much power to 
the Central Government, and not enough to the 
individual States. Still he retained the esteem 
of his friends who were its warm supporters, and 
who, notwithstanding his opposition, secured its 
adoption. In 1789 he became a member of the 
United States Senate, which office he held for 



36 



JAMES MONROE. 



four years. Every month the line of distinction 
between the two great parties which divided the 
nation, the Federal and the Republican, was 
growing more distinct. The differences which 
now separated them lay in the fact that the Repub- 
lican party was in sympathy with France, and 
also in favor of such a strict construction of the 
Constitution as to give the Central Government as 
little power, and the State Governments as much 
power, as the Constitution would warrant; while 
the Federalists sympathized with England, and 
were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- 
stitution, which would give as much power to the 
Central Government as that document could pos- 
sibly authorize. 

Washington was then President. England had 
espoused the cause of the Bourbons against the 
principles of the French Revolution. All Europe 
was drawn into the conflict. We were feeble and 
far away. Washington issued a proclamation of 
neutrality between these contending powers. 
France had helped us in the struggles for our 
liberties. All the despotisms of Europe were now 
combined to prevent the French from escaping 
from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse than that 
which we had endured. Col. Monroe, more mag- 
nanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at 
whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in 
their extremity. It was the impulse of a gener- 
ous and noble nature, and Washington, who could 
appreciate such a character, showed his calm, se- 
rene, almost divine, greatness, by appointing that 
very James Monroe who was denouncing the pol- 
icy of the Government, as the minister of that 
Government to the Republic of France. Mr. 
Monroe was welcomed by the National Conven- 
tion in France with the most enthusiastic dem- 
onstration. 

Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. 
Monroe was elected Governor of Virginia, and 
held the office for three years. He was again 
sent to France to co-operate with Chancellor Liv- 
ingston in obtaining the vast territory then known 
as the province of Louisiana, which France had 
but shortly before obtained from Spain. Their 
united efforts were successful. For the compara- 
tively small sum of fifteen millions of dollars, the 



entire territory of Orleans and district of Loui- 
siana were added to the United States. This was 
probably the largest transfer of real estate which 
was ever made in all the history of the world. 

From France Mr. Monroe went to England to 
obtain from that country some recognition of our 
rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against 
those odious impressments of our seamen. But 
England was unrelenting. He again returned to 
England on the same mission, but could receive 
no redress. He returned to his home and was 
again chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon 
resigned to accept the position of Secretary of 
State under Madison. While in this office war 
with England was declared, the Secretary of War 
resigned, and during these trying times the 
duties of the War Department were also put upon 
him. He was truly the armor-bearer of President 
Madison, and the most efficient business man in 
his cabinet. Upon the return of peace he re- 
signed the Department of War, but continued in 
the office of Secretary of State until the expira- 
tion of Mr. Madison's administration. At the 
election held the previous autumn, Mr. Monroe 
himself had been chosen President with but little 
opposition, and upon March 4, 1S17, he was in- 
augurated. Four years later he was elected for 
a second term. 

Among the important measures of his Presi- 
dency were the cession of Florida to the United 
States, the Missouri Compromise, and the famous 
" Monroe doctrine." This doctrine was enun- 
ciated by him in 1823, and was as follows: ' ' That 
we should consider any attempt on the part of 
European powers to extend their sj^steui to any 
portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our 
peace and safety," and that "we could not view 
any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or 
controlling American governments or provinces 
in any other light than as a manifestation by 
European powers of an unfriendly disposition 
toward the United States." 

At the end of his second term, Mr. Monroe re- 
tired to his home in Virginia, where he lived un- 
til 1830, when he went to New York to live witli 
his son-in-law. In that city he died, on the 4th 
of July, 1831. 




JOHN OUINCY ADAMS. 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 



(TOHN QUINCY ADAMS, the sixth President 

I of the United States, was born in the rural 
\Z) home of his honored father, John Adams, in 
Ouincy, Mass., on the nth of July, 1767. His 
mother, a woman of exalted worth, watched over 
his childhood during the almost constant ab- 
sence of his father. When but eight years of 
age, he stood with his mother on an eminence, 
listening to the booming of the great battle on 
Bunker's Hill, and gazing out upon the smoke 
and flames billowing up from the conflagration of 
Charlestown. 

When but eleven years old he took a tearful 
adieu of his mother, to sail with his father for Eu- 
rope, through a fleet of hostile British cruisers. 
The bright, animated boy spent a year and a-half 
in Paris, where his father was associated with 
Franklin and Eee as Minister Plenipotentiary. 
His intelligence attracted the notice of these dis- 
tinguished men, and he received from them flat- 
tering marks of attention. 

John Adams had scarcely returned to this 
country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. 
Again John Ouincy accompanied his father. At 
Paris he applied himself to study with great dil- 
igence for six months, and then accompanied his 
father to Holland, where he entered first a school 
in Amsterdam, then the University at Ee} r den. 
About a year from this time, in 1781, when the 
manly boy was but fourteen years of age, he was 
selected by Mr. Dana, our Minister to the Rus- 
sian court, as his private secretary. 

In this school of incessant labor and of ennobl- 
ing culture he spent fourteen months, and then 
returned to Holland, through Sweden, Denmark, 
Hamburg and Bremen. This long journey he 
took alone in the winter, when in his sixteenth 
year. Again he resumed his studies, under a pri- 
vate tutor, at The Hague. Then, in the spring of 
1782, he accompanied his father to Paris, travel- 
ing leisurely, and forming acquaintances with the 
most distinguished men on the continent, examin- 



ing architectural remains, galleries of paintings, 
and all renowned works of art. At Paris he 
again became associated with the most illustrious 
men of all lands in the contemplation of the 
loftiest temporal themes which can engross the 
human mind. After a short visit to England he 
returned to Paris, and consecrated all his energies 
to study until May, 17S5, when he returned to 
America to finish his education. 

Upon leaving Harvard College at the age of 
twenty, he studied law for three years. In June, 
1 794, being then but twenty-seven years of age, 
he was appointed by Washington Resident Min- 
ister at the Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in 
July, he reached Eondon in October, where he 
was immediately admitted to the deliberations of 
Messrs. Jay & Pinckney, assisting them in nego- 
tiating a commercial treaty with Great Britain. 
After thus spending a fortnight in Eoudon, he 
proceeded to The Hague. 

In July, 1797, he left The Hague to go to Por- 
tugal as Minister Plenipotentiary. On his way to 
Portugal, upon arriving in Eoudon, he met with 
despatches directing him to the court of Berlin, but 
requesting him to remain in Eondon until he 
should receive his instructions. While waiting 
he was married to an American lad}-, to whom he 
had been previously engaged — Miss Eouisa Cath- 
erine Johnson, a daughter of Joshua Johnson, 
American Consul in Eondon, and a lady en- 
dowed with that beauty and those accomplish- 
ments which eminently fitted her to move in the 
elevated sphere for which she was destined. He 
reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797, 
where he remained until July, 1799, when, hav- 
ing fulfilled all the purposes of his mission, he so- 
licited his recall. 

Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen 
to the Senate of Massachusetts from Boston, and 
then was elected Senator of the United States for 
six years, from the 4th of March, 1804. His rep- 
utation, his ability and his experience placed 



4 o 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 



him immediately among the most prominent and 
influential members of that body. 

In 1809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the 
Presidential chair, and he immediately nominated 
John Quincy Adams Minister to St. Petersburgh. 
Resigning his professorship in Harvard Col- 
lege, he embarked at Boston in August, 1809. 

While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense 
student. He devoted his attention to the lan- 
guage and history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; 
to the European system of weights, measures and 
coins; to the climate and astronomical observa- 
tions: while he kept up a familiar acquaintance 
with the Greek and Latin classics. In all the 
universities of Europe, a more accomplished 
scholar could scarcely be found. All through 
life the Bible constituted an important part of his 
studies. It was his rule to read five chapters 
every day. 

On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took 
the Presidential chair, and immediately appointed 
Mr. Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of 
his numerous friends in public and private life in 
Europe, he sailed in June, 1819, for the United 
States. On the 18th of August, he again crossed 
the threshold of his home in Quincy. During the 
eight years of Mr. Monroe's administration, Mr. 
Adams continued Secretary of State. 

Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's 
second term of office, new candidates began to be 
presented for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. 
Adams brought forward his name. It was an 
exciting campaign, and party spirit was never 
more bitter. Two hundred and sixty electoral 
votes were cast. Andrew Jackson received ninety- 
nine; John Quincy Adams eighty-four; William 
H. Crawford forty-one; and Henry Clay thirty- 
seven. As there was no choice by the people, 
the question went to the House of Representa- 
tives. Mr. Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to 
Mr. Adams, and he was elected. 

The friends of all the disappointed candidates 
now combined in a venomous and persistent as- 
sault upon Mr. Adams. There is nothing more 
disgraceful in the past history of our country than 
the abuse which was poured in one uninterrupted 
stream upon this high-minded, upright and pa- 



triotic man. There never was an administration 
more pure in principles, more conscientiously de- 
voted to the best interests of the country, than 
that of John Quincy Adams; and never, perhaps, 
was there an administration more unscrupulously 
and outrageously assailed. 

On the 4th of March, 1829, Mr. Adams retired 
from the Presidency, and was succeeded by An- 
drew Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected 
Vice-President. The slavery question now be- 
gan to assume portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams 
returned to Quincy and to his studies, which he 
pursued with unabated zeal. But he was not 
long permitted to remain in retirement. In No- 
vember, 1830, he was elected Representative in 
Congress. For seventeen years, or until his death, 
he occupied the post as Representative, towering 
above all his peers, ever ready to do brave battle 
for freedom, and winning the title of "the Old 
Man Eloquent." Upon taking his seat in the 
House, he announced that he should hold him- 
self bound to no party. Probably there never 
was a member more devoted to his duties. He 
was usually the first in his place in the morning, 
and the last to leave his seat in the evening. 
Not a measure could be brought forward and es- 
cape his scrutiny. The battle which Mr. Adams 
fought, almost singly, against the pro-slavery- 
party in the Government was sublime in its 
moral daring and heroism. For persisting in 
presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, 
he was threatened with indictment by the grand 
jury, with expulsion from the House, with assas- 
sination; but no threats could intimidate him, and 
his final triumph was complete. 

On the 21st of February, 1848, he rose on the 
floor of Congress with a paper in his hand, to 
address the speaker. Suddenly he fell, again 
stricken by paralysis, and was caught in the arms 
of those around him. For a time he was sense- 
less, as he was conveyed to the sofa in the ro- 
tunda. With reviving consciousness, he opened 
his eyes, looked calmly around and said "This 
is the end of earth;" then after a moment's pause 
he added, " I am content." These were the last 
words of the grand " Old Man Eloquent." 




ANDREW JACKSON. 



ANDREW JACKSON. 



s — 

G\ NDREW JACKSON, the seventh President 
LA of the United .States, was born in Waxhaw 
/ | settlement, N. C, March 15, 1767, a few 
days after his father's death. His parents were 
poor emigrants from Ireland, and took up their 
abode in Waxhaw settlement, where they lived 
in deepest poverty. 

Andrew, or Andy, as he was universally called, 
grew up a very rough, rude, turbulent boy. His 
features were coarse, his form ungaiufy, and there 
was but very little in his character made visible 
which was attractive. 

When only thirteen years old he joined the 
volunteers of Carolina against the British invasion. 
In 1 78 1, he and his brother Robert were captured 
and imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British 
officer ordered him to brush his mud-spattered 
boots. "lam a prisoner of war, not your serv- 
ant," was the reply of the dauntless boj\ 

Andrew supported himself in various ways, such 
as working at the saddler's trade, teaching school, 
and clerking in a general store, until 17S4, when 
he entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, 
however, gave more attention to the wild amuse- 
ments of the times than to his studies. In 1788, 
he was appointed solicitor for the Western District 
of North Carolina, of which Tennessee was then 
a part. This involved many long journeys amid 
dangers of every kind, but Andrew Jackson never 
knew fear, and the Indians had no desire to re- 
peat a skirmish with "Sharp Knife." 

In 1 79 1, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman 
who supposed herself divorced from her former 
husband. Great was the surprise of both parties, 
two years later, to find that the conditions of the 
divorce had just been definitely settled by the 
first husband. The marriage ceremony was per- 
formed a second time, but the occurrence was 
often used by his enemies to bring Mr. Jackson 
into disfavor. 



In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennesse 
then containing nearly eighty thousand inhabj 
tants, the people met in convention at Knoxvil] 
to frame a constitution. Five were sent fro] 
each of the eleven counties. Andrew Jackso 
was. one of the delegates. The new State w; 
entitled to but one member in the National Hou: 
of Representatives. Andrew Jackson was chose 
that member. Mounting his horse, he rode 1 
Philadelphia, where Congress then held its se 
sions, a distance of about eight hundred miles. 

Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Dem| 
cratic party, and Jefff rson was his idol. He a< 
mired Bonaparte, loved France, and hated En! 
land. As Mr. Jackson took his seat, Gen. Was] 
ington, whose second term of office was the 
expiring, delivered his last speech to Congres 
A committee drew up a complimentary address I 
reply. Andrew Jackson did not approve of tl 
address, and was one of the twelve who vot< 
against it. He was not willing to say that Ge 
Washington's administration had been "wise 
firm and patriotic." 

Mr. Jackson was elected to the United Stat 
Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and return< 
home. Soon after he was chosen Judge of tl 
Supreme Court of his State, which position J 
held for six years. 

When the War of 18 12 with Great Britain co: 
menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chai 
Aaron Burr sent word to the President that the. 
was an unknown man in the West, Andrew Jac 
son, who would do credit to a commission if 01 
were conferred upon him. Just at that time Ge 
Jackson offered his services and those of twentl 
five hundred volunteers. His offer was accepts 
and the troops were assembled at Nashville. 

As the British were hourly expected to ma. 
an attack upon New Orleans, where Gen. W 
kinson was in command, he was ordered to c 



44 



ANDREW JACKSON. 



scend the river with fifteen hundred troops to aid 
Wilkinson. The expedition reached Natchez, 
and after a delay of several weeks there without 
accomplishing anything, the men were ordered 
back to their homes. But the energy Gen. Jack- 
son had displayed, and his entire devotion to the 
comfort of his soldiers, .won for him golden opin- 
ions, and he became the most popular man in the 
State. It was in this expedition that his tough- 
ness gave him the nickname of "Old Hickory." 

Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip 
Col. Thomas Benton for a remark that gentleman 
made about his taking part as second in a duel 
in which a younger brother of Benton's was en- 
gaged, he received two severe pistol wounds. 
While he was lingering upon a bed of suffering, 
news came that the Indians, who had combined 
under Tecumseh from Florida to the Dakes to ex- 
terminate the white settlers, were committing the 
most awful ravages. Decisive action became nec- 
essary. Gen. Jackson, with his fractured bone 
just beginning to heal, his arm in a sling, and 
unable to mount his horse without assistance, 
gave his amazing energies to the raising of an 
army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, Ala. 

The Creek Indians had established a strong 
fort on one of the bends of the Tallapoosa River, 
near the center of Alabama, about fifty miles be- 
low Ft. Strother. With an army of two thousand 
men, Gen. Jackson traversed the pathless wilder- 
ness in a march of eleven days. He reached their 
fort, called Tohopeka or Horse-shoe, on the 27th 
of March, 18 14. The bend of the river enclosed 
nearly one hundred acres of tangled forest and 
wild ravine. Across the narrow neck the Indians 
had constructed a formidable breastwork of logs 
and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, with 
an ample supply of arms, were assembled. 

The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly 
desperate. Not an Indian would accept quarter. 
When bleeding and dying, they would fight those 
who endeavored to spare their lives. From ten 
in the morning until dark the battle raged. The 
carnage was awful and revolting. Some threw 
themselves into the river; but the unerring bul- 
lets struck their heads as they swam. Nearly 
every one of the nine hundred warriors was 



killed. A few, probably, in the night swam 
the river and escaped. This ended the war. 

This closing of the Creek War enabled us to 
concentrate all our militia upon the British, who 
were the allies of the Indians. No man of less 
resolute will than Gen. Jackson could have con- 
ducted this Indian campaign to so successful an 
issue. Immediately he was appointed Major- 
General. 

Date in August, with an army of two thousand 
men on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson went to 
Mobile. A British fleet went from Pensacola, 
landed a force upon the beach, anchored near the 
little fort, and from both ship and shore com- 
menced a furious assault. The battle was long 
and doubtful. At length one of the ships was 
blown up and the rest retired. 

Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his 
little army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, 
and the battle of New Orleans, which soon ensued, 
was in reality a very arduous campaign. This 
won for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. 
Here his troops, which numbered about four 
thousand men, won a signal victory over the 
British army of about nine thousand. His loss 
was but thirteen, while the loss of the British was 
twenty-six hundred. 

The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be 
mentioned in connection with the Presidency, 
but in 1824 he was defeated by Mr. Adams. 
He was, however, successful in the election of 
1828, and was re-elected for a second term in 
1832. In 1829, just before he assumed the reins 
of government, he met with the most terrible 
affliction of his life in the death of his wife, whom 
he had loved with a devotion which has perhaps 
never been surpassed. From the shock of her 
death he never recovered. 

His administration was one of the most mem- 
orable in the annals of our country — applauded 
by one part}', condemned by the other. No man 
had more bitter enemies or warmer friends. At 
the expiration of his two terms of office he retired 
to the Hermitage, where he died June 8, 1S45. The 
last years of Mr. Jackson's life were those of a de- 
voted Christian man. 




MARTIN VAN BUREN. 



MARTIN VAN BUREN. 



\A ARTIN VAN BUREN, the eighth Presi- 
Y dent of the United States, was born at Kin- 
(y derhook, N. Y., December 5, 1782. He 
died at the same place, July 24, 1862. His body 
rests in the cemetery at Kinderhook. Above it is 
a plain granite shaft, fifteen feet high, bearing a 
simple inscription about half-way up on one face. 
The lot is unfenced, unbordered or unbounded 
by shrub or flower. 

There is but little in the life of Martin Van 
Buren of romantic interest. He fought no battles, 
engaged in no wild adventures. Though his life 
was stormy in political and intellectual conflicts, 
and he gained many signal victories, his days 
passed uneventful in those incidents which give 
zest to biography. His ancestors, as his name indi- 
cates, were of Dutch origin, and were among the 
earliest emigrants from Holland to the banks of 
the Hudson. His father was a farmer, residing 
in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, also 
of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- 
ligence and exemplar}' piety. 

He was decidedly a precocious boy, developing 
unusual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At 
the age of fourteen, he had finished his academic 
studies in his native village, and commenced the 
study of law. As he had not a collegiate educa- 
tion, seven years of study in a law-office were re- 
quired of him before he could be admitted to the 
Bar. Inspired with a lofty ambition, and con- 
scious of his powers, he pursued his studies with 
indefatigable industry. After spending six years 
in an office in his native village, he went to the city 
of New York, and prosecuted his studies for the 
seventh year. 

In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years 



of age, commenced the practice of law in his na- 
tive village. The great conflict between the Fedei al 
and Republican parties was then at its height. 
Mr. Van Buren was from the beginning a politi- 
cian. He had, perhaps, imbibed that spirit while 
hstening to the many discussions which had been 
carried on in his father' s hotel. He was in cordial 
sympathy with Jefferson, and earnestly and elo- 
quently espoused the cause of State Rights, though 
at that time the Federal party held the supremacy 
both in his town and State. 

His success and increasing reputation led him 
after six years of practice to remove to Hudson, 
the county seat of his county. Here he spent 
seven years, constantly gaining strength by con- 
tending in the courts with some of the ablest men 
who have adorned the Bar of his State. 

Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mr. 
Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for 
beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short 
years she sank into the grave, a victim of con- 
sumption, leaving her husband and four sons to 
weep over her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. 
Van Buren was an earnest, successful, assiduous 
lawyer. The record of those years is barren in 
items of public interest. In 18 12, when thirty 
years of age, he was chosen to the State Senate, 
and gave his strenuous support to Mr. Madison's 
administration. In 181 5, he was appointed At- 
torney-General, and the next year moved to Al- 
bany, the capital of the State. 

While he was acknowledged as one of the most 
prominent leaders of the Democratic party, he had 
the moral courage to avow that true democracy did 
not require that ' 'universal suffrage' ' which admits 
the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right 



4 8 



MARTIN VAN BUREN. 



of governing the State. In true consistency with 
his democratic principles, he contended that, while 
the path leading to the privilege of voting should 
be open to every man without distinction, no one 
should be invested with that sacred prerogative 
unless he were in some degree qualified for it by 
intelligence, virtue, and some property interests in 
the welfare of the State. 

In 1 82 1 he was elected a member of the United 
States Senate, and in the same year he took a 
seat in the convention to revise the Constitution of 
his native State. His course in this convention 
secured the approval of men of all parties. No 
one could doubt the singleness of his endeavors to 
promote the interests of all classes in the com- 
munity. In the Senate of the United States, he 
rose at once to a conspicuous position as an active 
and useful legislator. 

In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the 
Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected 
to the Senate. He had been from the beginning 
a determined opposer of the administration, adopt- 
ing the ' 'State Rights' ' view in opposition to what 
was deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams. 

Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governor 
of the State of New York, and accordingly resigned 
his seat in the Senate. Probably no one in the 
United States contributed so much towards eject- 
ing John Q. Adams from the 'Presidential chair, 
and placing in it Andrew Jackson, as did Martin 
Van Buren. Whether entitled to the reputation 
or not, he certainly was regarded throughout the 
United States as one of the most skillful, sagacious 
and cunning of politicians. It was supposed that 
no one knew so well as he how to touch the secret 
springs of action, how to pull all the wires to 
put his machinery in motion, and how to organize 
a political army which would secretly and stealth- 
ily accomplish the most gigantic results. By these 
powers it is said that he outwitted Mr. Adams, Mr. 
Clay, and Mr. Webster, and secured results which 
few then thought could be accomplished. 

When Andrew Jackson was elected President 
he appointed Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. 
This position he resigned in 1831, and was im- 
mediately appointed Minister to England, where 
he went the same autumn. The Senate, however, 



when it met, refused to ratify the nomination, and 
he returned home, apparently untroubled. Later 
he was nominated Vice-President in the place of 
Calhoun, at the re-election of President Jackson v 
and with smiles for all and frowns for none, he 
took his place at the head of that Senate which had 
refused to confirm his nomination as ambassador. 

His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal 
of President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated 
favorite; and this, probably, more than any other 
cause secured his elevation to the chair of the 
Chief Executive. On the 20th of May, 1836, Mr. 
Van Buren received the Democratic nomination 
to succeed Gen. Jackson as President of the United 
States. He was elected by a handsome majority, 
to the delight of the retiring President. ' 'Leaving 
New York out of the canvass," says Mr. Parton, 
"the election of Mr. Van Buren to the Presidency 
was as much the act of Gen. Jackson as though 
the Constitution had conferred upon him the power 
to appoint a successor." 

His administration was filled with exciting 
events. The insurrection in Canada, which 
threatened to involve this country in war with 
England, the agitation of the slavery question, 
and finally the great commercial panic which 
spread over the country, all were trials of his wis- 
dom. The financial distress was attributed to 
the management of the Democratic party, and 
brought the President into such disfavor that he 
failed of re-election, and on the 4th of March, 
1 84 1, he retired from the presidency. 

With the exception of being nominated for the 
Presidency by the "Free Soil" Democrats in 1848, 
Mr. Van Buren lived quietly upon his estate until 
his death. He had ever been a prudent man, ol 
frugal habits, and, living within his income, had 
now fortunately a competence for his declining 
years. From his fine estate at Lindenwald, he 
still exerted a powerful influence upon the politics 
of the country. From this time until his death, 
on the 24th of July, 1S62, at the age of eighty 
years, he resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of 
leisure, of culture and wealth, enjoying in a 
healthy old age probably far more happiness than 
he had before experienced amid the storrny scenes 
of his active life. 




WIUJAM HENRY HARRISON, 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 



pGJlUJAM HENRY HARRISON, the ninth 
\Al P^si^ent of the United States, was born 
V V at Berkeley, Va., February 9, 1773. His 
father, Benjamin Harrison, was in comparatively 
opulent circumstances, and was one of the most 
distinguished men of his day. He was an inti- 
mate friend of George Washington, was early 
elected a member of the Continental Congress, 
and was conspicuous among the patriots of Vir- 
ginia in resisting the encroachments of the British 
crown. In the celebrated Congress of 1775, Ben- 
jamin Harrison and John Hancock were both 
candidates for the office of Speaker. 

Mr. Harrison was subsequently chosen Gov- 
ernor of Virginia, and was twice re-elected. His 
son William Henry, of course, enjoyed in child- 
hood all the advantages which wealth and intel- 
lectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- 
ing received a thorough common-school educa- 
tion, he entered Hampden Sidney College, where 
he graduated with honor soon after the death of 
his father. He then repaired to Philadelphia to 
stud}' medicine under the instructions of Dr. Rush 
and the guardianship of Robert Morris, both of 
whom were, with his father, signers of the Dec- 
laration of Independence. 

Upon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and 
notwithstanding the remonstrances of his friends, 
he abandoned his medical studies and entered the 
army, having obtained a commission as Ensign 
from President Washington. He was then but 
nineteen years old. From that time he passed 
gradually upward in rank until he became aide 
to Gen. Wayne, after whose death he resigned 
his commission. He was then appointed Secre- 
tary of the Northwestern Territory. This Terri- 
tory was then entitled to but one member in Con- 



gress, and Harrison was chosen to fill that po: 
In the spring of 1800 the Northwestern ] 
tory was divided by Congress into two poi t 
The eastern portion, comprising the regio; 
embraced in the State of Ohio, was called 
Territory northwest of the Ohio." The w 
portion, which included what is now called • 
ana, Illinois and Wisconsin, was called "the I 
ana Territory." William Henry Harrison, 
twenty-seven years of age, was appointed b? 
Adams Governor of the Indiana Territor 
immediately after also Governor of Upper I 
siana. He was thus ruler over almost as 1 
sive a realm as any sovereign upon the 
He was Superintendent of Indian Affairs 
was invested with powers nearly dictatoria 
the then rapidly increasing white population, 
ability and fidelity with which he discli 
these responsible duties may be inferred fro 
fact that he was four times appointed t 
office — first by John Adams, twice by Tl 
Jefferson, and afterwards by President Mad 

When he began his administration there 
but three white settlements in that almost b 
less region, now crowded with cities and res 
ing with all the tumult of wealth and t 
One of these settlements was on the Ohio, 1 
opposite Eouisville; one at Vincennes, o 
Wabash; and the third was a French settle 

The vast wilderness over which Gov. Ha: 
reigned was filled with many tribes of In< 
About the year 1806, two extraordinary 
twin brothers of the Shawnee tribe, rose a 
them. One of these was called Teeumsc 
"the Crouching Paidher;" the other O 
checa, or "the Prophet." Tecur/.ieh wa 
only an Indian warrior, but a man of great: 



■ 






arc. 



52 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 



ity, far-reaching foresight and indomitable perse- 
verance in any enterprise in which he might en- 
gage. His brother, the Prophet, was an orator, 
who could sway the feelings of the untutored In- 
dians as the gale tossed the tree-tops beneath 
which they dwelt. With an enthusiasm unsur- 
passed by Peter the Hermit rousing Europe to the 
crusades, he went from tribe to tribe, assuming 
that he was specially sent by the Great Spirit. 

Gov. Harrison made many attempts to con- 
ciliate the Indians, but at last war came, and at 
Tippecanoe the Indians were routed with great 
slaughter. October 28, 1812, his army began its 
march. When near the Prophet's town, three 
Indians of rank made their appearance and in- 
quired why Gov. Harrison was approaching them 
in so hostile an attitude. After a short confer- 
ence, arrangements were made for a meeting the 
next day to agree upon terms of peace. 

But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted 
with the Indian character to be deceived by such 
protestations. Selecting a favorable spot for his 
night's encampment, he took every precaution 
against surprise. His troops were posted in a 
hollow square and slept upon their arms. The 
wakeful Governor, between three and four o' clock 
in the morning, had risen, and was sitting 
in conversation with his aides by the embers 
of a waning fire. It was a chill, cloudy morning, 
with a drizzling rain. In the darkness, the In- 
dians had crept as near as possible, and just then, 
with a savage yell, rushed, with all the despera- 
tion which superstition and passion most highly 
inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the 
little army. The savages had been amply pro- 
vided with guns and ammunition by the English, 
and their war-whoop was accompanied by a 
shower of bullets. 

The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as 
the light aided the Indians in their aim, and 
Gen. Harrison's troops stood as immovable as 
the rocks around them until day dawned, when 
they made a simultaneous charge with the bayo- 
net and swept everything before them, completely 
routing the foe. 

Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked 
to the utmost. The British, descending from the 



Canadas, were of themselves a very formidable 
force, but with their savage allies rushing like 
wolves from the forest, burning, plundering, scalp- 
ing, torturing, the wide frontier was plunged into 
a state of consternation which even the most vivid 
imagination can but faintly conceive. Gen. Hull 
had made an ignominious surrender of his forces at 
Detroit. Under these despairing circumstances, 
Gov. Harrison was appointed by President Madi- 
son Commander-in-Chief of the Northwestern 
Army, with orders to retake Detroit and to protect 
the frontiers. It would be difficult to place a man 
in a situation demanding more energy, sagacity 
and courage, but he was found equal to the 
position, and nobly and triumphantly did he meet 
all the responsibilities. 

In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member 
of the National House of Representatives, to rep- 
resent the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved 
an active member, and whenever he spoke it was 
with a force of reason and power of eloquence 
which arrested the attention of all the members. 

In 18 19, Harrison was elected to the Senate of 
Ohio, and in 1824, as one of the Presidential Elec- 
tors of that State, he gave his vote for Henry 
Clay. The same year he was chosen to the Uni- 
ted States Senate. In 1836 his friends brought 
him forward as a candidate for the Presidency 
against Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the 
close of Mr. Van Buren's term, he was re-nom- 
inated by his party, and Mr. Harrison was unani- 
mously nominated by the Whigs, with John Tyler 
for the Vice-Presidency. The contest was very 
animated. Gen. Jackson gave all his influence to 
prevent Harrison's election, but his triumph was 
signal. 

The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Web- 
ster at its head as Secretary of State, was one of 
the most brilliant with which any President had 
ever been surrounded. Never were the prospects 
of an administration more flattering, or the hopes 
of the country more sanguine. In the midst of 
these bright and joyous prospects, Gen. Harrison 
was seized by a pleurisy-fever, and after a few 
days of violent sickness died, on the 4th of April, 
just one month after his inauguration as President 
of the United States. 




JOHN TYLER. 



JOHN TYLER. 



(fOHN TYLER, the tenth President of the 
; United States, and was born in Charles 
Q) City County, Va., March 29, 1790. He was 
the favored child of affluence and high social po- 
sition. At the early age of twelve, John entered 
William and Mary College, and graduated with 
much honor when but seventeen years old. After 
graduating, he devoted himself with great assi- 
duity to the study of law, partly with his father 
and partly with Edmund Randolph, one of the 
most distinguished lawyers of Virginia. 

At nineteen years of age, he commenced the 
practice of law. His success was rapid and as- 
tonishing. It is said that three months had not 
elapsed ere there was scarcely a case on the 
docket of the court in which he was not retained. 
When but twenty-one years of age, he was almost 
unanimously elected to a seat in the State Legis- 
lature. He connected himself with the Demo- 
cratic party,, and warmly advocated the measures 
of Jefferson and Madison. For five successive 
years he was elected to the Legislature, receiving 
nearly the unanimous vote of his county. 

When but twenty-six years of age, he was 
elected a Member of Congress. Here he acted ear- 
nestly and ably with the Democratic party, oppos- 
ing a national bank, internal improvements by 
the General Government, and a protective tariff; 
advocating a strict construction of the Constitu- 
tion and the most careful vigilance over State 
rights. His labors in Congress were so arduous 
that before the close of his second term he found 
it necessary to resign and retire to his estate in 
Charles City County to recruit his health. He, 
however, soon after consented to take his seat in 
the State Legislature, where his influence was 
powerful in promoting public works of great 
utility. With a reputation thus constantly in- 
creasing, he was chosen by a very large majority 
of votes Governor of his native State. His ad- 
ministration was a signally successful one, and his 
popularity secured his re-election. 



John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed 
man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of 
the United States. A portion of the Democratic 
party was displeased with Mr. Randolph's way- 
ward course, and brought forward John Tyler as 
his opponent, considering him the only man in 
Virginia of sufficient popularity to succeed 
against the renowned orator of Roanoke. Mr. 
Tyler was the victor. 

In accordance with his professions, upon tak- 
ing his seat in the Senate he joined the ranks of 
the opposition. He opposed the tariff, and spoke 
against and voted against the bank as unconsti- 
tutional; he strenuously opposed all restrictions 
upon slavery, resisting all projects of internal im- 
provements by the General Government, and 
avowed his sympathy with Mr. Calhoun's view 
of nullification; he declared that Gen. Jackson, 
by his opposition to the nullifiers, had abandoned 
the principles of the Democratic party. Such 
was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress — a record in 
perfect accordance with the principles which he 
had always avowed. 

Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice 
of his profession. There was a split in the Demo- 
cratic party. His friends still regarded him as a 
true Jeffersonian, gave him a dinner, and show- 
ered compliments upon him. He had now at- 
tained the age of forty-six, and his career had been 
very brilliant. In consequence of his devotion to 
public business, his private affairs had fallen into 
some disorder, and it was not without satisfac- 
tion that he resumed the practice of law, and de- 
voted himself to the cultivation of his plantation. 
Soon after this he removed to Williamsburg, for 
the better education of his children, and he again 
took his seat in the Legislature of Virginia. 

By the southern Whigs he was sent to the 
national convention at Harrisburg in 1839 to nom- 
inate a President. The majority of votes were 
given to Gen Harrison, a genuine Whig, much 
to the disappointment of the South, which wished 



56 



JOHN TYLER. 



for Henry Clay. To conciliate the southern 
Whigs and to secure their vote, the convention 
then nominated John Tyler for Vice-President. 
It was well known that he was not in sympathy 
with the Whig party in the North; but the Vice- 
President has very little power in the Govern- 
ment, his main and almost only duty being to 
preside over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it 
happened that a Whig President and, in reality, 
a Democratic Vice-President were chosen. 

in 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice- 
President of the United States. In one short 
month from that time, President Harrison died, 
and Mr. Tyler thus found himself, to his own 
surprise and that of the whole nation, an occu- 
pant of the Presidential chair. Hastening from 
Williamsburg to Washington, on the 6th of 
April he was inaugurated to the high and re- 
sponsible office. He was placed in a position of 
exceeding delicacy and difficulty. All his long 
life he had been opposed to the main principles of 
the party which had brought him into power. 
He had ever been a consistent, honest man, with 
an unblemished record. Gen. Harrison had se- 
lected a Whig cabinet. Should he retain them, 
and thus surround himself with counselors whose 
views were antagonistic to his own ? or, on the 
other hand, should he turn against the party 
which had elected him, and select a cabinet in 
harmony with himself, and which would oppose 
all those views which the Whigs deemed essen- 
tial to the public welfare ? This was his fearful 
dilemma. He invited the cabinet which Presi- 
dent Harrison had selected to retain their seats, 
and recommended a day of fasting and prayer, 
that God would guide and bless us. 

The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for 
the incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United 
States. The President, after ten days' delay, re- 
turned it with his veto. He suggested, however, 
that he would approve of a bill drawn up upon 
such a plan as he proposed. Such a bill was ac- 
cordingly prepared, and privately submitted to 
him. He gave it his approval. It was passed 
without alteration, and he sent it back with his 
veto. Here commenced the open rupture. It is 
said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- 



ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. 
Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who se- 
verely touched the pride of the President. 

The opposition now exultingly received the 
President into their arms. The party which 
elected him denounced him bitterly. All the 
members of his cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, 
resigned. The Whigs of Congress, both the 
Senate and the House, held a meeting and issued 
an address to the people of the United States, 
proclaiming that all political alliance between the 
Whigs and President Tyler was at an end. 

Still the President attempted to conciliate. He 
appointed a new cabinet of distinguished Whigs 
and Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong 
party men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary 
to resign, forced out by the pressure of his Whig 
friends. Thus the four years of Mr. Tyler's un- 
fortunate administration passed sadly away. No 
one was satisfied. The land was filled with mur- 
murs and vituperation. Whigs and Democrats 
alike assailed him. More and more, however, he 
brought himself into sympathy with his old 
friends, the Democrats, until at the close of his 
term he gave his whole influence to the support 
of Mr. Polk, the Democratic candidate for his 
successor. 

On the 4th of March, 1845, President Tyler re- 
tired from the harassments of office, to the regret 
of neither party, and probably to his own unspeak- 
able relief. The remainder of his days were 
passed mainly in the retirement of his beautiful 
home — Sherwood Forest, Charles City County, 
Va. His first wife, Miss Uetitia Christian, died 
in Washington in 1842; and in June, 1844, 
he was again married, at New York, to Miss Julia 
Gardiner, a young lady of many personal and 
intellectual accomplishments. 

When the great Rebellion rose, which the 
State Rights and nullifying doctrines of John C. 
Calhoun had inaugurated, President Tyler re- 
nounced his allegiance to the United States, and 
joined the Confederates. He was chosen a mem- 
ber of their Congress, and while engaged in 
active measures to destroy, by force of arms, the 
Government over which he had once presided, he 
was taken sick and soon died. 




JAMES K. POLK. 



JAMES K. POLK. 



(JAMES K. POLK, the eleventh President of 
I the United States, was born in Meeklenburgh 
Q) County, N. C. , November 2, 1795. His 
parents were Samuel and Jane (Knox) Polk, the 
former a son of Col. Thomas Polk, who located 
at the above place, as one of the first pioneers, in 
1735. In 1806, with his wife and children, and 
soon after followed by most of the members of the 
Polk family, Samuel Polk emigrated some two or 
three hundred miles farther west, to the rich val- 
ley of the Duck River. Here, in the midst of the 
wilderness, in a region which was subsequently 
called Maury County, they erected their log huts 
and established their homes. In the hard toil of 
a new farm in the wilderness, James K. Polk 
spent the early years of his childhood and youth. 
His father, adding the pursuit of a surveyor to 
that of a farmer, gradually increased in wealth, 
until he became one of the leading men of the 
region. His mother was a superior woman, of 
strong common sense and earnest piety. 

Very early in life James developed a taste for 
reading, and expressed the strongest desire to ob- 
tain a liberal education. His mother's training 
had made him methodical in his habits, had taught 
him punctuality and industry, and had inspired 
him with loft}- principles of morality. His health 
was frail, and his father, fearing that he might not 
be able to endure a sedentary life, got a situation 
for him behind the counter, hoping to fit him for 
commercial pursuits. 

This was to James a bitter disappointment. He 
had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks 
were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this 
uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when, 
at his earnest solicitation, his father removed 
him and made arrangements for him to pros- 
ecute his studies. Soon after he sent him to Mur- 
freesboro Academy. With ardor which could 
scarcely be surpassed, he pressed forward in his 



studies, and in less than two and a-half years, in 
the autumn of 18 15, entered the sophomore class 
in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel 
Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of 
scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allow- 
ing himself to be absent from a recitation or a 
religious service. 

Mr. Polk graduated in 18 18, with the highest 
honors, being deemed the best scholar of his class, 
both in mathematics and the classics. He was 
then twenty-three years of age. His health was 
at this time much impaired by the assiduity with 
which he had prosecuted his studies. After a 
short season of relaxation, he went to Nashville, 
and entered the office of Felix Grundy, to study 
law. Here Mr. Polk renewed his acquaintance 
with Andrew Jackson, who resided on his planta- 
tion, the ' ' Hermitage, ' ' but a few miles from 
Nashville. They had probably been slightly ac- 
quainted before. 

Mr. Polk's father was a Jeffersoniau Republican 
and James K. adhered to the same political faith. 
He was a popular public speaker, and was con- 
stantly called upon to address the meetings of his 
party friends. His skill as a speaker was such 
that he was popularly called the Napoleon of the 
stump. He was a man of unblemished morals, 
genial and courteous in his bearing, and with that 
sympathetic nature in the joys and griefs of oth- 
ers which gave him hosts of friends. In 1823, 
he was elected to the Legislature of Tennessee, 
and gave his strong influence toward the election 
of his friend, Mr. Jackson, to the Presidency of 
the United States. 

In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah 
Childress, of Rutherford County, Tenn. His 
bride was altogether worthy of him — a lady of 
beauty and culture. In the fall of 1825 Mr. Polk 
was chosen a member of Congress, and the satis- 
faction he gave his constituents may be inferred 



6o 



JAMES K. POLK. 



from the fact, that for fourteen successive years, 
or until 1839, he was continued in that office. He 
then voluntarily withdrew, only that he might 
accept the Gubernatorial chair of Tennessee. In 
Congress he was a laborious member, a frequent 
and a popular speaker. He was always in his 
seat, always courteous, and whenever he spoke 
it was always to the point, without any ambitious 
rhetorical display. 

During five sessions of Congress Mr. Polk was 
Speaker of the House. Strong passions were 
roused and stormy scenes were witnessed, but he 
performed his arduous duties to a very general 
satisfaction, and a unanimous vote of thanks to 
him was passed by the House as he withdrew on 
the 4th of March, 1839. 

In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, 
as a candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. 
He was elected by a large majority, and on Octo- 
ber 14, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. 
In 1 841 his term of office expired, and he was 
again the candidate of the Democratic party, but 
was defeated. 

On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. Polk was in- 
augurated President of the United States. The 
verdict of the country in favor of the annexation 
of Texas exerted its influence upon Congress, 
and the last act of the administration of President 
Tyler was to affix his signature to a joint resolu- 
tion of Congress, passed on the 3d of March, ap- 
proving of the annexation of Texas to the Union. 
As Mexico still claimed Texas as one of her 
provinces, the Mexican Minister, Almonte, im- 
mediately demanded his passports and left the 
country, declaring the act of the annexation to be 
an act hostile to Mexico. 

In his first message, President Polk urged that 
Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be 
received into the Union on the same footing with 
the other States. In the mean time, Gen. Taylor 
was sent with an army into Texas to hold the 
country. He was first sent to Nueces, which the 
Mexicans said was the western boundary of Tex- 
as. Then he was sent nearly two hundred miles 
further west, to the Rio Grande, where he erected 
batteries which commanded the Mexican city of 
Matamoras, which was situated on the western 



banks. The anticipated collision soon took place, 
and war was declared against Mexico by President 
Polk. The war was pushed forward by his ad- 
ministration with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, 
whose army was first called one of " observation," 
then of "occupation," then of "invasion," was 
sent forward to Monterey. The feeble Mexicans 
in every encounter were hopelessly slaughtered. 
The day of judgment alone can reveal the misery 
which this war caused. It was by the ingenuity 
of Mr. Polk's administration that the war was 
brought on. 

"To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico 
was prostrate before us. Her capital was in our 
hands. We now consented to peace upon the 
condition that Mexico should surrender to us, in 
addition to Texas, all of New Mexico, and all of 
Upper and Dower California. This new demand 
embraced, exclusive of Texas, eight hundred 
thousand square miles. This was an extent oi 
territory equal to nine States of the size of New 
York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen ma- 
jestic States to be added to the Union. There 
were some Americans who thought it all right; 
there were others who thought it all wrong. In 
the prosecution of this war we expended twenty 
thousand lives and more than $100,000,000. Of 
this money $15,000,000 were paid to Mexico. 

On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired 
from office, having served one term. The next 
day was Sunday. On the 5th, Gen. Taylor was 
inaugurated as his successor. Mr. Polk rode to 
the Capitol in the same carriage with Gen. Tay- 
lor, and the same evening, with Mrs. Polk, he 
commenced his return to Tennessee. He was 
then but fifty-four years of age. He had always 
been strictly temperate in all his habits, and his 
health was good. With an ample fortune, a 
choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic 
ties of the dearest nature, it seemed as though 
long years of tranquillity and happiness were be- 
fore him. But the cholera — that fearful scourge 
— was then sweeping up the Valley of the Missis- 
sippi, and he contracted the disease, dying on the 
15th of June, 1849, in the fifty-fourth year of his 
age, greatly mourned by his countrymen. 




ZACHARY TAYLOR. 



ZACHARY TAYLOR. 



G7ACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth President of I 
I. the United States, was born on the 24th of 
fcSc November, 1784, in Orange County, Va. 
His father, Col. Taylor, was a Virginian of 
note, and a distinguished patriot and soldier of 
the Revolution. When Zachary was an infant, 
his father, with his wife and two children, emi- 
grated to Kentucky, where he settled in the path- 
less wilderness, a few miles from Louisville. In 
this frontier home, away from civilization and all 
its refinements, young Zachary could enjoy but 
few social and educational advantages. When 
six years of age he attended a common school, 
and was then regarded as a bright, active boy, 
rather remarkable for bluutness and decision of 
character. He was strong, fearless and self-reli- 
ant, and manifested a strong desire to enter the 
army to fight the Indians, who were ravaging the 
frontiers. There is little to be recorded of the 
uneventful years of his childhood on his father's 
large but lonely plantation. 

In 1808, his father succeeded in obtaining for 
him a commission as Lieutenant in the United 
States army, and he joined the troops which were 
stationed at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. 
Soon after this he married Miss Margaret Smith, 
a young lady from one of the first families of 
Maryland. 

Immediately after the declaration of war with 
England, in 1812, Capt. Taylor (for he had then 
been promoted to that rank) was put in command 
of Ft. Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles 
above Vincennes. This fort had been built in the 
wilderness by Gen. Harrison, on his march to 
Tippecanoe. It was one of the first points of at- 
tack by the Indians, led by Tecumseh. Its garri- 
son consisted of a broken company of infantry, 
numbering fifty men, many of whom were sick. 

Early in the autumn of 1812, the Indians, 
stealthily, and in large nnmbers, moved upon the 



fort. Their approach was first indicated by the 
murder of two soldiers just outside of the stockade. 
Capt. Taylor made every possible preparation to 
meet the anticipated assault. On the 4th of Sep- 
tember, a band of forty painted and plumed sav- 
ages came to the fort, waving a white flag, and 
informed Capt. Taylor that in the morning their 
chief would come to have a talk with him. It 
was evident that their object was merely to ascer- 
tain the state of things at the fort, and Capt. 
Taylor, well versed in the wiles of the savages, 
kept them at a distance. 

The sun went down; the savages disappeared; 
the garrison slept upon their arms. One hour 
before midnight the war-whoop burst from a 
thousand lips in the forest around, followed by 
the discharge of musketry and the rush of the 
foe. Every man, sick and well, sprang to his 
post. Every man knew that defeat was not 
merely death, but, in the case of capture, death by 
the most agonizing and prolonged torture. No 
pen can describe, no imagination can conceive, the 
scenes which ensued. The savages succeeded in 
setting fire to one of the block-houses. Until six 
o'clock in the morning this awful conflict con- 
tinued, when the savages, baffled at every point 
and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. 
Capt. Taylor, for this gallant defense, was pro- 
moted to the rank of Major by brevet. 

Until the close of the war, Maj. Taylor was 
placed in such situations that he saw but little 
more of active service. He was sent far away 
into the depths of the wilderness to Ft. Craw- 
ford, on Fox River, which empties into Green 
Bay. Here there was little to be done but to 
wear away the tedious hours as one best could. 
There were no books, no society, no intellectual 
stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful years 
rolled on. Gradually he rose to the rank of 
Colonel. In the Black Hawk War, which re- 



6 4 



ZACHARY TAYLOR. 



suited in the capture of that renowned chieftain, 
Col. Taylor took a subordinate, but a brave and 
efficient, part. 

For twenty-four years Col. Taylor was engaged 
in the defense of the frontiers, in scenes so re- 
mote, and in employments so obscure, that his 
name was unknown beyond the limits of his own 
immediate acquaintance. In the year 1836, he 
was sent to Florida to compel the Seminole Indi- 
ans to vacate that region, and retire beyond the 
Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty had prom- 
ised they should do. The services rendered here 
secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of 
the Government, and as a reward he was ele- 
vated to the high rank of Brigadier- General by 
brevet, and soon after, in May, 1838, was ap- 
pointed to the chief command of the United 
States troops in Florida. 

After two years of wearisome employment 
amidst the everglades of the Peninsula, Gen. Tay- 
lor obtained, at his own request, a change of 
command, and was stationed over the Department 
of the Southwest. This field embraced Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Establishing 
his headquarters at Ft. Jessup, in Louisiana, he 
removed his family to a plantation which he pur- 
chased near Baton Rouge. Here he remained 
for five years, buried, as it were, from the world, 
but faithfully discharging every duty imposed 
upou him. 

Iu 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the 
land between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the 
latter river being the boundary of Texas, which 
was then claimed by the United States. Soon 
the war with Mexico was brought on, and at Palo 
Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Gen. Taylor won 
brilliant victories over the Mexicans. The rank 
of Major-General by brevet was then conferred 
upou Gen. Taylor, and his name was received 
with enthusiasm almost everywhere in the na- 
tion. Then came the battles of Monterey and 
Buena Vista, in which he won signal victories 
over forces much larger than he commanded. 

The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena 
Vista spread the wildest enthusiasm over the 
country. The name of Gen. Taylor was on 
every one's lips. The Whig party decided to 



take advantage of this wonderful popularity in 
bringing forward the unpolished, unlettered, hon- 
est soldier as their candidate for the Presidency. 
Gen. Taylor was astonished at the announce- 
ment, and for a time would not listen to it, de- 
claring that he was not at all qualified for such 
an office. So little interest had he taken in poli- 
tics, that for forty years he had not cast a vote. 
It was not without chagrin that several distin- 
guished statesmen, who had been long years in 
the public service, found their claims set aside in 
behalf of one whose name had never been heard 
of, save in connection with Palo Alto, Resaca de 
la Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista. It is said 
that Daniel Webster, in his haste, remarked, " It 
is a nomination not fit to be made. ' ' 

Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a 
fine writer. His friends took possession of him, 
and prepared such few communications as it was 
needful should be presented to the public. The 
popularity of the successful warrior swept the 
laud. He was triumphantly elected over two 
opposing candidates, — Gen. Cass and Ex-Presi- 
dent Martin Van Buren. Though he selected an 
excellent cabinet, the good old man found himself 
in a very uncongenial position, and was at times 
sorely perplexed and harassed. His mental suf- 
ferings were very severe, and probably tended to 
hasten his death. The pro-slavery party was 
pushing its claims with tireless energy; expedi- 
tions were fitting out to capture Cuba; California 
was pleading for admission to the Union, while 
slavery stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. 
Taylor found the political conflicts in Washington 
to be far more trying to the nerves than battles 
with Mexicans or Indians. 

In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, 
after he had occupied the Presidential chair but 
little over a year, took cold, and after a brief 
sickness of but little over five days, died, on the 
9th of Jul} r , 1850. His last words were, "I am 
not afraid to die. I am read}'. I have endeav- 
ored to do my duty." He died universally re- 
spected and beloved. An honest, unpretending 
man, he had been steadily growing in the affec- 
tions of the people, and the Nation bitterly la- 
mented his death. 




MILLARD FILLMORE. 



MILLARD FILLMORE. 



\A ILXARD FILLMORE, thirteenth President 
Jr of the United States, was born at Summer 
OJ Hill, Cayuga County, N. Y., on the 7th of 
January, 1800. His father was a farmer, and, owing 
to misfortune, in humble circumstances. Of his 
mother, the daughter of Dr. Abiathar Millard, of 
Pittsfield, Mass., it has been said that she pos- 
sessed an intellect of a high order, united with 
much personal loveliness, sweetness of disposi- 
tion, graceful manners and exquisite sensibilities. 
She died in 1831, having lived to see her son a 
young man of distinguished promise, though she 
was not permitted to witness the high dignity 
which he finally attained. 

In consequence of the secluded home and limited 
means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender 
advantages for education in his early years. The 
common schools, which he occasionally attended, 
were very imperfect institutions, and books were 
scarce and expensive. There was nothing then 
in his character to indicate the brilliant career 
upon which he was about to enter. He was a 
plain farmer's boy — intelligent, good-looking, 
kind-hearted. The sacred iuflueuees of home 
had taught him to revere the Bible, and had laid 
the foundations of an upright character. When 
fourteen years of age, his father sent him some 
hundred miles from home to the then wilds of 
Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. 
Near the mill there was a small village, where 
some enterprising man had commenced the col- 
lection of a village library. This proved an in- 
estimable blessing to young Fillmore. His even- 
ings were spent in reading. Soon every leisure 
moment was occupied with books. His thirst for 
knowledge became insatiate, and the selections 
which he made were continually more elevating 
and instructive. He read history, biography, 
oratory, and thus gradually there was enkindled 



in his heart a desire to be something more than a 
mere worker with his hands. 

The young clothier had now attained the age 
of nineteen years, and was of fine personal appear- 
ance and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so hap- 
pened that there was a gentleman in the neigh- 
borhood of ample pecuniary means and of benev- 
olence, — Judge Walter Wood, — who was struck 
with the prepossessing appearance of young Fill- 
more. He made his acquaintance, and was so 
much impressed with his ability and attainments 
that he advised him to abandon his trade and de- 
vote himself to the study of the law. The young 
man replied that he had no means of his own, 
no friends to help him, and that his previous edu- 
cation had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood 
had so much confidence in him that he kindly 
offered to take him into his own office, and to 
lend him such money as he needed. Most grate- 
fully the generous offer was accepted. 

There is in many minds a strange delusion 
about a collegiate education. A young man is 
supposed to be liberally educated if he has gradu- 
ated at some college. But many a boy who loi- 
ters through university halls and then enters a 
law office is by no means as well prepared to 
prosecute his legal studies as was Millard Fill- 
more when he graduated at the clothing-mill at 
the end of four years of manual labor, during 
which every leisure moment had been devoted to 
intense mental culture. 

In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he 
was admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. 
He then went to the village of Aurora, and com- 
menced the practice of law. In this secluded, 
quiet region, his practice, of course, was limited, 
and there was no opportunity for a sudden rise in 
fortune or in fame. Here, in 1826, he married a 
lady of great moral worth, and one capable of 



68 



MILLARD FILLMORE. 



adorning any station she might be called to fill, — 
Miss Abigail Powers. 

His elevation of character, his untiring industry, 
his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advo- 
cate, gradually attracted attention, and he was 
invited to enter into partnership, under highly ad- 
vantageous circumstances, with an elder member 
of the Bar in Buffalo. Just before removing to 
Buffalo, in 1829, he took his seat in the House of 
Assembly of the State of New York, as a Repre- 
sentative from Erie County. Though he had 
never taken a very active part in politics, his vote 
and sympathies were with the Whig party. The 
State was then Democratic, and he found himself 
in a helpless minority in the Legislature; still the 
testimony comes from all parties that his courtesy, 
ability and integrity won, to a very unusual de- 
gree, the respect of his associates. 

In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a 
seat in the United States Congress. He entered 
that troubled arena in the most tumultuous hours 
of our national history, when the great conflict 
respecting the national bank and the removal of 
the deposits was raging. 

His term of two years closed, and he returned 
to his profession, which he pursued with increas- 
ing reputation and success. After a lapse of two 
years he again became a candidate for Congress; 
was re-elected, and took his seat in 1837. His 
past experience as a Representative gave him 
strength and confidence. The first term of service 
in Congress to any man can be but little more 
than an introduction. He was now prepared for 
active duty. All his energies were brought to 
bear upon the public good. Every measure re- 
ceived his impress. 

Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, 
and his popularity filled the State. In the year 
1847, when he had attained the age of forty- 
seven years, he was elected Comptroller of the 
State. His labors at the Bar, in the Legisla- 
ture, in Congress and as Comptroller, had given 
him very considerable fame. The Whigs were 
casting about to find suitable candidates for Presi- 
dent and Vice-President at the approaching elec- 
tion. Far away on the waters of the Rio Grande, 
there was a rough old soldier, who had fought 



one or two successful battles with the Mexicans, 
which had caused his name to be proclaimed in 
trumpet-tones all over the land as a candidate for 
the presidency. But it was necessary to associate 
with him on the same ticket some man of repu- 
tation as a statesman. 

Under the influence of these considerations, the 
names of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore 
became the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their 
candidates for President and Vice-President. The 
Whig ticket was signally triumphant. On the 
4th of March, 1849, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated 
President, and Millard Fillmore Vice-President, 
of the United States. 

On the 9th of July, 1850, President Taylor, 
about one year and four months after his inaugura- 
tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the 
Constitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus be- 
came President. He appointed a very able cabi- 
net, of which the illustrious Daniel Webster was 
Secretary of State; nevertheless, he had serious 
difficulties to contend with, since the opposition 
had a majority in both Houses. He did all in his 
power to conciliate the South; but the pro-slavery 
party in the South felt the inadequacy of all 
measures of transient conciliation. The popula- 
tion of the free States was so rapidly increasing 
over that of the slave States, that it was inevitable 
that the power of the Government should soon 
pass into the hands of the free States. The fa- 
mous compromise measures were adopted under 
Mr. Fillmore's administration, and the Japan ex- 
pedition was sent out. On the 4th of March, 
1853, he, having served one term, retired. 

In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the 
Presidency by the "Know-Nothing" party, but 
was beaten by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. 
Fillmore lived in retirement. During the terri- 
ble conflict of civil war, he was mostly silent. It 
was generally supposed that his sympathies were 
rather with those who were endeavoring to over- 
throw our institutions. President Fillmore kept 
aloof from the conflict, without any cordial words 
of cheer to one party or the other. He was thus 
forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe old age, 
and died in Buffalo, N. Y.; March 8, 1S74. 




FRANKLIN PIERCK. 



FRANKLIN PIERCE. 



fRANKIJN PIERCE, the fourteenth Presi- 
r») dent of the United States, was born in Hills- 
| ' borough, N. H., November 23, 1804. His 
father was a Revolutionary soldier, who with his 
own strong arm hewed out a home in the wilder- 
ness. He was a man of inflexible integrity, of 
strong, though uncultivated, mind, and was an un- 
compromising Democrat. The mother of Frank- 
lin Pierce was all that a son could desire — an in- 
telligent, prudent, affectionate, Christian woman. 

Franklin, who was the sixth of eight children, 
was a remarkably bright and handsome boy, 
generous, warm-hearted and brave. He won 
alike the love of old and young. The boys on 
the play-ground loved him. His teachers loved 
him. The neighbors looked upon him with pride 
and affection. He was by instinct a gentleman, 
always speaking kind words, and doing kind 
deeds, with a peculiar, unstudied tact which 
taught him what was agreeable. Without de- 
veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural 
devotion to books, he was a good scholar, and in 
body and mind a finely developed boy. 

When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, 
he entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me. 
He was one of the most popular young men in 
the college. The purity of his moral character, 
the unvarying courtesy of his demeanor, his rank 
as a scholar, and genial nature, rendered him a 
universal favorite. There was something pe- 
culiarly winning in his address, and it was evi- 
dently not in the slightest degree studied — it was 
the simple outgushing of his own magnanimous 
and loving nature. 

Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin 
Pierce commenced the study of law in the office 
of Judge Woodbury, one of the most distinguished 



lawyers of the State, and a man of great private 
worth. The eminent social qualities of the young 
lawyer, his father's prominence as a public man, 
and the brilliant political career into which Judge 
Woodbury was entering, all tended to entice Mr. 
Pierce into the fascinating yet perilous path of 
political life. With all the ardor of his nature he 
espoused the cause of Gen. Jackson for the Presi- 
dency. He commenced the practice of law in 
Hillsborough, and was soon elected to represent 
the town in the State Legislature. Here he 
served for four years. The last two years he was 
chosen Speaker of the House by a very large 
vote. 

In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was 
elected a member of Congress. In 1837, being 
then but thirty-three years old, he was elected to 
the Senate, taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren 
commenced his administration. He was the 
youngest member in the Senate. In the year 
1834, he married Miss Jane Means Appleton, a 
lady of rare beauty and accomplishments, and one 
admirably fitted to adorn every station with which 
her husband was honored. Of the three sons who 
were born to them, all now sleep with their par- 
ents in the grave. 

In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing 
fame and increasing business as a lawyer, took up 
his residence in Concord, the capital of New 
Hampshire. President Polk, upon his accession 
to office, appointed Mr. Pierce Attorney-General 
of the United States; but the offer was declined 
in consequence of numerous professional engage- 
ments at home, and the precarious state of Mrs. 
Pierce's health. He also, about the same time, 
declined the nomination for Governor by the 
Democratic party. The war with Mexico called 



72 



FRANKLJN PIERCE. 



Mr. Pierce into the army. Receiving the appoint- 
ment of Brigadier-General, he embarked with a 
portion of his troops at Newport, R I., on the 
27th of May, 1847. He took an important part 
in this war, proving himself a brave and true sol- 
dier. 

When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his na- 
tive State, he was received enthusiastically by the 
advocates of the Mexican War, and coldly by his 
opponents. He resumed the practice of his pro- 
fession, very frequently taking an active part in 
political questions, giving his cordial support to 
the pro-slavery wing of the Democratic party. 
The compromise measures met cordially with his 
approval, and he strenuously advocated the en- 
forcement of the infamous Fugitive Slave Law, 
which so shocked the religious sensibilities of the 
North. He thus became distinguished as a 
' ' Northern man with Southern principles. ' ' The 
strong partisans of slavery in the South conse- 
quently regarded him as a man whom they could 
safely trust in office to carry out their plans. 

On the 12th of June, 1852, the Democratic con- 
vention met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate 
for the Presidency. For four days they contin- 
ued in session, and in thirty-five ballotings no one 
had obtained a two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus 
far had been thrown for Gen. Pierce. Then the 
Virginia delegation brought forward his name. 
There were fourteen more ballotings, during which 
Gen. Pierce constantly gained strength, until, at 
the forty-ninth ballot, he received two hundred 
and eighty-two votes, and all other candidates 
eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was the Whig can- 
didate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with great una- 
nimity. Only four States — Vermont, Massachu- 
setts, Kentucky and Tennessee — cast their elec- 
toral votes against him. Gen. Franklin Pierce 
was therefore inaugurated President of the United 
States on the 4th of March, 1853. 

His administration proved one of the most 
stormy our country had ever experienced. The 
controversy between slavery and freedom was 
then approaching its culminating point. It be- 
came evident that there was to be an irrepressible 
conflict between them, and that this nation 
could not long exist ' ' half slave and half free. ' ' 



President Pierce, during the whole of his admin- 
istration, did everything he could to conciliate the 
South; but it was all in vain. The conflict even- 
year grew more violent, and threats of the disso- 
lution of the Union were borne to the Ncrth on 
every Southern breeze. 

Such was the condition of affairs when Presi- 
dent Pierce approached the close of his four- 
years term of office. The North had become 
thoroughly alienated from him. The anti-slavery 
sentiment, goaded by great outrages, had been 
rapidly increasing; all the intellectual ability and 
social worth of President Pierce were forgotten in 
deep reprehension of his administrative acts. The 
slaveholders of the South also, unmindful of the 
fidelity with which he had advocated those meas- 
ures of Government which they approved, and 
perhaps feeling that he had rendered himself 
so unpopular as no longer to be able to accepta- 
bly serve them, ungratefully dropped him, and 
nominated James Buchanan to succeed him. 

On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re- 
turned to his home in Concord. His three chil- 
dren were all dead, his last surviving child hav- 
ing been killed before his eyes in a railroad acci- 
dent; and his wife, one of the most estimable and 
accomplished of ladies, was rapidly sinking in 
consumption. The hour of dreadful gloom soon 
came, and he was left alone in the world without 
wife or child. 

When the terrible Rebellion burst forth which 
divided our country into two parties, and two 
only, Mr. Pierce remained steadfast in the prin- 
ciples which he had always cherished, and gave 
his sympathies to that pro-slavery party with 
which he had ever been allied. He declined to 
do anything, either by voice or pen, to strengthen 
the hand of the National Government. He con- 
tinued to reside in Concord until the time of his 
death, which occurred in October, 1S69. He was 
one of the most genial and social of men, an hon- 
ored communicant of the Episcopal Church, and 
one of the kindest of neighbors. Generous to a 
fault, he contributed liberally toward the allevia- 
tion of suffering and want, and many of his 
towns-people were often gladdened by his material 
bounty. 




JAMES BUCHANAN. 



JAMES BUCHANAN. 



(TAMES BUCHANAN, the fifteenth President 
I of the United States, was born in a small 
C2/ frontier town, at the foot of the eastern ridge 
of the Alleghanies, in Franklin County, Pa., on 
the 23d of April, 1791. The place where the 
humble cabin home stood was called Stony Bat- 
ter. His father was a native of the north of Ire- 
land, who had emigrated in 1783, with little prop- 
erty save his own strong arms. Five years after- 
ward he married Elizabeth Spear, the daughter 
of a respectable farmer, and, with his young bride, 
plunged into the wilderness, staked his claim, 
reared his log hut, opened a clearing with his 
axe, and settled down there to perform his obscure 
part in the drama of life. When James was eight 
years of age, his father removed to the village of 
Mercersburg, where his son was placed at school, 
and commenced a course of study in English, 
Latin and Greek. His progress was rapid, and 
at the age of fourteen he entered Dickinson Col- 
lege, at Carlisle. Here he developed remarkable 
talent, and took his stand among the first scholars 
in the institution. 

In the year 1809, he graduated with the high- 
est honors of his class. He was then eighteen 
years of age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, 
fond of athletic sports, an unerring shot, and en- 
livened with an exuberant flow of animal spirits, 
lie immediately commenced the study of law in 
the city of Lancaster, and was admitted to the 
Bar in 181 2, when he was but twent3'-one years 
of age. 

In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as a 
candidate for Congress. He was elected, and for 
ten years he remained a member of the Lower 
House. During the vacations of Congress, he 



occasionally tried some important case. In 1831 
he retired altogether from the toils of his profes- 
sion, having acquired an ample fortune. 

Gen. Jackson, upon his elevation to the Presi- 
dency, appointed Mr. Buchanan Minister to Rus- 
sia. The duties of his mission he performed 
with abilitj', and gave satisfaction to all parties. 
Upon his return, in 1833, ne was elected to a seat 
in the United States Senate. He there met as 
his associates Webster, Clay, Wright and Cal- 
houn. He advocated the measures proposed by 
President Jackson, of making reprisals against 
France to enforce the payment of our claims 
against that country, and defended the course of 
the President in his unprecedented and wholesale 
removal from office of those who were not the 
supporters of his administration. Upon this 
question he was brought into direct collision with 
Henry Clay. He also, with voice and vote, ad- 
vocated expunging from the journal of the Senate 
the vote of censure against Gen. Jackson for re- 
moving the deposits. Earnestly he opposed the 
abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, 
and urged the prohibition of the circulation of 
anti-slavery documents by the United States 
mails. As to petitions on the subject of slavery, 
he advocated that they should be respectfully re- 
ceived, and that the reply should be returned 
that Congress had no power to legislate upon the 
subject. " Congress," said he, "might as well 
undertake to interfere with slavery under a for- 
eign government as in any of the States where it 
now exists." 

Upon Mr. Polk's accession to the Presidency, 
Mr. Buchanan became Secretary of State, and a? 
such took his share of the responsibility in the 



7 6 



JAMES BUCHANAN. 



conduct of the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed 
that crossing the Nueces by the American 
troops into the disputed territory was not wrong, 
but for the Mexicans to cross the Rio Grande 
into Texas was a declaration of war. No candid 
man can read with pleasure the account of the 
course our Government pursued in that movement. 

Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly 
with the party devoted to the perpetuation and 
extension of slavery, and brought all the energies 
of his mind to bear against the Wilmot Proviso. 
He gave his cordial approval to the compromise 
measures of 1850, which included the Fugitive 
Slave Paw. Mr. Pierce, upon his election to the 
Presidency, honored Mr. Buchanan with the mis- 
sion to England. 

In the year 1856, a national Democratic Con- 
vention nominated Mr. Buchanan for the Presi- 
dency. The political conflict was one of the most 
severe in which our country has ever engaged. 
All the friends of slavery were on one side; all 
the advocates of its restriction and final abolition 
on the other. Mr. Fremont, the candidate of the 
enemies of slavery, received one hundred and 
fourteen electoral votes. Mr. Buchanan received 
one hundred and seventy- four, and was elected. 
The popular vote stood 1,340,618 for Fremont, 
1,224,750 for Buchanan. On March 4, 1857, 
the latter was inaugurated. 

Mr. Buchanan was far advanced in life. Only 
four years were wanting to fill up his three-score 
years and ten. His own friends, those with 
whom he had been allied in political principles 
and action for years, were seeking the destruc- 
tion of the Government, that they might rear 
upon the ruins of our free institutions a nation 
whose corner-stone should be human slaver}-. In 
this emergency, Mr. Buchanan was hopelessly 
bewildered. He could not, with his long-avowed 
principles, consistently oppos.e the State Rights 
party in their assumptions. As President of the 
United States, bound by his oath faithfully to 
administer the laws, he could not, without per 1 
jury of the grossest kind, unite with those en- 
deavoring to overthrow the Republic. He there- 
fore did nothing. 

The opponents of Mr. Buchanan's administra- 



tion nominated Abraham Lincoln as their stand- 
ard-bearer in the next Presidential canvass. 
The pro-slavery party declared that if he were 
elected and the control of the Government were 
thus taken from their hands, they would secede 
from the Union, taking with them as they retired 
the National Capitol at Washington and the 
lion's share of the territory of the United States. 

As the storm increased in violence, the slave- 
holders claiming the right to secede, and Mr. 
Buchanan avowing that Congress had no power 
to prevent it, one of the most pitiable exhibitions 
of governmental imbecility was exhibited that the 
world has ever seen. He declared that Congress 
had no power to enforce its laws in any State 
which had withdrawn, or which was attempting 
to withdraw, from the Union. This was not the 
doctrine of Andrew Jackson, when, with his hand 
upon his sword-hilt, he exclaimed: "The Union 
must and shall be preserved ! ' ' 

South Carolina seceded in December, i860, 
nearly three months before the inauguration of 
President Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in 
listless despair. The rebel flag was raised in 
Charleston; Ft. Sumter was besieged; our forts, 
navy-yards and arsenals were seized; our depots 
of military stores were plundered, and our cus- 
tom-houses and post-offices were appropriated by 
the rebels. 

The energy of the rebels and the imbecility of 
our Executive were alike marvelous. The na- 
tion looked on in agony, waiting for the slow 
weeks to glide away and close the administration, 
so terrible in its weakness. At length the long- 
looked-for hour of deliverance came, when Abra- 
ham Lincoln was to receive the scepter. 

The administration of President Buchanan was 
certainly the most calamitous our country has ex- 
perienced. His best friends can not recall it with 
pleasure. And still more deplorable it is for his 
fame, that in that dreadful conflict which rolled 
its billows of flame and blood over our whole 
land, no word came from his lips to indicate his 
wish that our country's banner should triumph 
over the flag of the Rebellion. He died at his 
Wheatland retreat, June 1, 1S68. 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



Gl BRAHAM LINCOLN, the sixteenth Presi- 
Ll dent of the United States, was born in Hardin 
I I County, Ky. , February 12, 1S09. About 
the year 1780, a man by the name of Abraham 
Lincoln left Virginia with his family and moved 
into the then wilds of Kentucky. Only two years 
after this emigration, and while still a young man, 
he was working one day in a field, when an Indian 
stealthily approached and killed him. His widow 
was left in extreme poverty with five little chil- 
dren, three boys and two girls. Thomas, the 
youngest of the boys, and the father of President 
Abraham Lincoln, was four years of age at his 
father's death. 

When twenty-eight years old, Thomas Lincoln 
built a log cabin, and married Nancy Hanks, the 
daughter of another family of poor Kentucky 
emigrants, who had also come from Virginia. 
Their second child was Abraham Lincoln, the sub- 
ject of this sketch. The mother of Abraham was 
a noble woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created 
to adorn a palace, but doomed to toil and pine, and 
die in a hovel. " All that I am, or hope to be," 
exclaimed the grateful son, " I owe to my angel- 
mother. ' ' When he was eight years of age, his 
father sold his cabin and small farm and moved 
to Indiana, where two years later his mother died. 

As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly 
family was the usual lot of humanity. There 
were joys and griefs, weddings and funerals. 
Abraham's sister Sarah, to whom he was tenderly 
attached, was married when a child of but four- 
teen years of age, and soon died. The family- 
was gradually scattered, and Thomas Lincoln 
sold out his squatter's claim in 1830, and emi- 
grated to Macon County, 111. 

Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years 
of age. With vigorous hands he aided his father 
in rearing another log cabin, and worked quite 
diligently at this until he saw the family com- 
fortably settled, and their small lot of enclosed 
prairie planted with corn, when he announced to 



his father his intention to leave home, and to go 
out into the world and seek his fortune. Little 
did he or his friends imagine how brilliant that 
fortune was to be. He saw the value of educa- 
tion and was intensely earnest to improve his 
mind to the utmost of his power. Religion he 
revered. His morals were pure, and he was un- 
contaminated by a single vice. 

Young Abraham worked for a time as a hired 
laborer among the farmers. Then he went to 
Springfield, where he was employed in building 
a large flat-boat. In this he took a herd of swine, 
floated them down the Sangamon to Illinois, and 
thence by the Mississippi to New Orleans. What- 
ever Abraham Lincoln undertook, he performed 
so faithfully as to give great satisfaction to his 
employers. In this adventure the latter were 
so well pleased, that upon his return they placed 
a store and mill under his care. 

In 1S32, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk 
War, he enlisted and was chosen Captain of a 
company. He returned to Sangamon County, 
and, although only twenty-three years of age, was 
a candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated. 
He soon after received from Andrew Jackson the 
appointment of Postmaster of New Salem. His 
only post-office was his hat. All the letters he 
received he carried there, ready to deliver to those 
he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and 
soon made this his business. In 1834 he again 
became a candidate for the Legislature and was 
elected. Mr. Stuart, of Springfield, advised him 
to study law. He walked from New Salem to 
Springfield, borrowed of Mr. Stuart a load of 
books, carried them back, and began his legal 
studies. When the Legislature assembled, he 
trudged on foot with his pack on his back one 
hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In 
1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here 
it was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 
he removed to Springfield and began the practice 
of law. His success with the jury was so great 



So 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



that he was soon engaged in almost every noted 
case in the circuit. 

In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr. 
Lincoln and Mr. Douglas on the slavery ques- 
tion. In the organization of the Republican party 
in Illinois, in 1856, he took an active part, and at 
once became one of the leaders in that party. 
Mr. Lincoln's speeches in opposition to Senator 
Douglas in the contest in 1858 for a seat in the 
Senate, form a most notable part of his history. 
The issue was on the slavery question, and he 
took the broad ground of the Declaration of In- 
dependence, that all men are created equal. Mr. 
Lincoln was defeated in this contest, but won a 
far higher prize. 

The great Republican Convention met at Chi- 
cago on the 1 6th of June, i860. The delegates 
and strangers who crowded the city amounted to 
twenty-five thousand. An immense building 
called " The Wigwam," was reared to accommo- 
date the convention. There were eleven candi- 
dates for whom votes were thrown. William H. 
Seward, a man whose fame as a statesman had 
long filled the land, was the most prominent. It 
was generally supposed he would be the nomi- 
nee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received the 
nomination on the third ballot. 

Election day came, and Mr. Lincoln received 
one hundred and eighty electoral votes out of two 
hundred and three cast, and was, therefore, con- 
stitutionally elected President of the United States. 
The tirade of abuse that was poured upon this 
good and merciful man, especially by the slave- 
holders, was greater than upon any other man 
ever elected to this high position. In February, 
1861, Mr. Lincoln started for Washington, stop- 
ping in all the large cities on his way, making 
speeches. The whole journey was fraught with 
much danger. Many of the Southern States had 
already seceded, and several attempts at assassi- 
nation were afterward brought to light. A gang 
in Baltimore had arranged upon his arrival to 
"get up a row," and in the confusion to make 
sure of his death with revolvers and hand-gren- 
ades. A detective unravelled the plot. A secret 
and special train was provided to take him from 
Harrisburg, through Baltimore, at an unexpected 



hour of the night. The train started at half-past 
ten, and to prevent any possible communication 
on the part of the Secessionists with their Con- 
federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train 
had started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. 
Lincoln reached Washington in safety and was 
inaugurated, although great anxiety was felt by 
all loyal people. 

In the selection of his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave 
to Mr. Seward the Department of State, and to 
other prominent opponents before the convention 
he gave important positions; but during no other 
administration had the duties devolving upon the 
President been so manifold, and the responsibilities 
so great, as those which fell to his lot. Knowing 
this, and feeling his own weakness and inability 
to meet, and in his own strength to cope with, 
the difficulties, he learned early to seek Divine 
wisdom and guidance in determining his plans, 
and Divine comfort in all his trials, both personal 
and national. Contrary to his own estimate of 
himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the most cour- 
ageous of men. He went directly into the rebel 
capital just as the retreating foe was leaving, with 
no guard but a few sailors. From the time he 
had left Springfield, in 1861, however, plans had 
been made for his assassination, and he at last 
fell a victim to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, 
with Gen. Grant, was urgently invited to attend 
Ford's Theatre. It was announced that they 
would be present. Gen. Grant, however, left the 
city. President Lincoln, feeling, with his char- 
acteristic kindliness of heart, that it would be a 
disappointment if he should fail them, very re- 
luctantly consented to go. While listening to 
the play, an actor by the name of John Wilkes 
Booth entered the box where the President and 
family were seated, and fired a bullet into his 
brain. He died the next morning at seven 
o'clock. 

Never before in the history of the world was 
a nation plunged into such deep grief by the death 
of its ruler. Strong men met in the streets and 
wept in speechless anguish. His was a life which 
will fitly become a model. His name as the 
Savior of his country will live with that of Wash- 
ington's, its Father. 




ANDREW JOHNSON. 



ANDREW JOHNSON. 



61 NDREW JOHNSON, seventeenth President 
LJ of the United States. The early life of An- 
/ I drew Johnson contains but the record of pov- 
erty , destitution and friendlessness. He was born 
December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, N. C. His par- 
ents, belonging to the class of "poor whites" 
of the South, were in such circumstances that the)' 
could not confer even the slightest advantages of 
education upon their child. When Andrew was 
five years of age, his father accidentally lost his 
life, while heroically endeavoring to save a friend 
from drowning. Until ten years of age, Andrew 
was a ragged boy about the streets, supported by 
the labor of his mother, who obtained her living 
with her own hands. 

He then, having never attended a school one 
day, and being unable either to read or write, was 
apprenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gen- 
tleman was in the habit of going to the tailor's 
shop occasionally, and reading to the boys at 
work there. He often read from the speeches of 
distinguished British statesmen. Andrew, who 
was endowed with a mind of more than ordinary 
ability, became much interested in these speeches; 
his ambition was roused, and he was inspired with 
a strong desire to learn to read. 

He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, 
and with the assistance of some of his fellow- 
workmen learned his letters. He then called upon 
the gentleman to borrow the book of speeches. 
The owner, pleased with his zeal, not only gave 
him the book, but assisted him in learning to com- 
bine the letters into words. Under such difficul- 
ties he pressed onward laboriously, spending usu- 
ally ten or twelve hours at v, ork in the shop, and 
then robbing himself of rest and recreation to de- 
vote such time as he could to reading. 

He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at 



Greenville, where he married a young lady who 
possessed some education. Under her instructions 
he learned to write and cipher. He became 
prominent in the village debating society, and a 
favorite with the students of Greenville College. 
In 1828, he organized a working man's party, 
which elected him Alderman, and in 1830 elected 
him Mayor, which position he held three years. 

He now began to take a lively interest in 
political affairs, identifying himself with the work- 
ing-class, to which he belonged. In 1835, he 
was elected a member of the House of Represent- 
atives of Tennessee. He was then just twenty- 
seven years of age. He became a very active 
member of the Legislature, gave his support to 
the Democratic party, and in 1840 "stumped the 
State," advocating Martin Van Buren's claims to 
the Presidency, in opposition to those of Gen. 
Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much 
readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased 
his reputation. 

In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, 
he was elected a Member of Congress, and by suc- 
cessive elections held that important post for ten 
years. In 1 853, he was elected Governor of Tenn- 
essee, and was re-elected in 1S55. In all these 
responsible positions, he discharged his duties 
with distinguished ability, and proved himself the 
warm friend of the working classes. In 1857, Mr. 
Johnson was elected United States Senator. 

Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated 
the annexation of Texas, stating, however, as his 
reason, that he thought this annexation would 
probably prove "to be the gateway out of which 
the sable sons of Africa are to pass from bondage 
to freedom, and become merged in a population 
congenial to themselves." In 1850, he also sup- 
ported the compromise measures, the two essen- 



8 4 



ANDREW JOHNSON. 



tial features of which were, that the white people 
of the Territories should be permitted to decide 
for themselves whether they would enslave the 
colored people or not, and that the free States of 
the North should return to the South persons who 
attempted to escape from slavery. 

Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly 
origin: on the contrary, he often took pride in 
avowing that he owed his distinction to his own 
exertions. "Sir," said he on the floor of the 
Senate, "I do not forget that I am a mechanic; 
neither do I forget that Adam was a tailor and 
sewed fig-leaves, and that our Savior was the son 
of a carpenter. ' ' 

In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of i860, 
he was the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for 
the Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of 
the Southern Democracy became apparent, he took 
a decided stand in favor of the Union, and held 
that "slavery must be held subordinate to the 
Union at whatever cost." He returned to Tenn- 
essee, and repeatedly imperiled his own life to 
protect the Unionists of that State. Tennessee 
having seceded from the Union, President Lincoln, 
on March 4, 1862, appointed him Military Gov- 
ernor of the State, and he established the most 
stringent military rule. His numerous proclama- 
tions attracted wide attention. In 1864, he was 
elected Vice-President of the United States, and 
upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15, 1865, 
became President. In a speech two days later he 
said, "The American people must be taught, if 
they do not already feel, that treason is a crime 
and must be punished; that the Government will 
not always bear with its enemies; that it is strong 
not only to protect, but to punish. * * The 
people must understand that it (treason) is the 
blackest of crimes, and will surely be punished. ' ' 
Yet his whole administration, the history of which 
is so well known, was in utter inconsistency with, 
and in the most violent opposition to, the princi- 
ples laid down in that speech. 

In his loose policy of reconstruction and general 
amnesty, he was opposed by Congress, and he 
characterized Congress as a new rebellion, and 
lawlessly defied it in everything possible to the ut- 
most. In the beginning of 1868, on account of 



"High crimes and misdemeanors," the principal 
of which was the removal of Secretary Stanton in 
violation of the Tenure of Office Act, articles of 
impeachment were preferred against him, and the 
trial began March 23. 

It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three 
months. A test article of the impeachment was 
at length submitted to the court for its action. It 
was certain that as the court voted upon that ar- 
ticle so would it vote upon all . Thirty-four voices 
pronounced the President guilt}-. As a two-thirds 
vote was necessary to his condemnation, he was 
pronounced acquitted, notwithstanding the great 
majority against him. The change of one vote 
from the not guilty side would have sustained the 
impeachment. 

The President, for the remainder of his term, 
was but little regarded. He continued, though 
impotently, his conflict with Congress. His own 
party did not think it expedient to renominate 
him for the Presidency. The Nation rallied with 
enthusiasm, unparalleled since the days of Wash- 
ington, around the name of Gen. Grant. Andrew 
Johnson was forgotten. The bullet of the assassin 
introduced him to the President's chair. Not- 
withstanding this, never was there presented to a 
man a better opportunity to immortalize his name, 
and to win the gratitude of a nation. He failed 
utterly. He retired to his home in Greenville, 
Tenu., taking no very active part in politics until 
1875. On January 26, after an exciting struggle, 
he was chosen by the Legislature of Tennessee 
United States Senator in the Forty-fourth Congess, 
and took his seat in that bod}-, at the special ses- 
sion convened by President Grant, on the 5th of 
March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-Presi- 
dent made a visit to his daughter's home, near 
Carter Station, Tenn. When he started on his 
journey, he was apparently in his usual vigorous 
health, but on reaching the residence of his child 
the following day, he was stricken with paralysis, 
which rendered him unconscious. He rallied oc- 
casionally, but finally passed away at 2 A. m., 
July 31 , aged sixty-seven years. His funeral was 
held at Greenville, on the 3d of August, with 
every demonstration of respect. 




ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



I) J LYSSES S. GRANT, the eighteenth Presi- 
K'l dent of the United States, was born on the 
\J 29th of April, 1822, of Christian parents, in 
a humble home at Point Pleasant, on the banks 
of the Ohio. Shortly after, his father moved to 
Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio. In this re- 
mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses received a common- 
school education. At the age of seventeen, in 
the year 1839, he entered the Military Academy 
at West Point. Here he was regarded as a solid, 
sensible young man, of fair ability, and of sturdy, 
honest character. He took respectable rank as a 
scholar. In June, 1843, he graduated about the 
middle in his class, and was sent as Lieutenant of 
Infantry to one of the distant military posts in the 
Missouri Territory. Two years he passed in these 
dreary solitudes, watching the vagabond Indians. 
The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was 
sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His 
first battle was at Palo Alto. There was no 
chance here for the exhibition of either skill or 
heroism, nor at Resaca de la Palma, his second 
battle. At the battle of Monterey, his third en- 
gagement, it is said that he performed a signal 
service of daring and skillful horsemanship. 

At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant 
returned with his regiment to New York, and 
was again sent to one of the military posts on the 
frontier. The discovery of gold in California 
causing an immense tide of emigration to flow to 
the Pacific shores, Capt. Grant was sent with a 
battalion to Ft. Dallas, in Oregon, for the protec- 
tion of the interests of the immigrants. P.ut life 
was wearisome in those wilds, and he resigned 
his commission and returned to the States. Hav- 
ing married, he entered upon the cultivation of a 
small farm near St. Louis, Mo., but having little I 



skill as a farmer, and finding his toil not re- 
munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering 
into the leather business, with a younger brother 
at Galena, 111. This was in the year i860. As 
the tidings of the rebels firing on Ft. Sumter 
reached the ears of Capt. Grant in his counting- 
room, he said: "Uncle Sam has educated me 
for the army; though I have served him through 
one war, I do not feel that I have yet repaid the 
debt. I am still ready to discharge my obliga- 
tions. I shall therefore buckle on my sword and 
see Uncle Sam through this war too." 

He went into the streets, raised a company of 
volunteers, and led them as their Captain to 
Springfield, the capital of the State, where their 
services were offered to Gov. Yates. The Gov- 
ernor, impressed by the zeal and straightforward 
executive ability of Capt. Grant, gave him a desk 
in his office to assist in the volunteer organiza- 
tion that was being formed in the State in behalf 
of the Government. On the 15th of June, 1861, 
Capt. Grant received a commission as Colonel of 
the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. 
His merits as a West Point graduate, who had 
served for fifteen years in the regular army, were 
such that he was- soon promoted to the rank of 
Brigadier-General, and was placed in command at 
Cairo. The rebels raised their banner at Paclu- 
cah, near the mouth of the Tennessee River. 
Scarcely had its folds appeared in the breeze ere 
Gen. Grant was there. The rebels fled, their 
banner fell, and the Stars and Stripes were un- 
furled in its stead. 

He entered the service with great determina- 
tion and immediately began active duty. This 
was the beginning, and until the surrender of 
Lee at Richmond he was ever pushing the enemy 



88 



ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



with great vigor and effectiveness. At Belmont, 
a few days later, he surprised and routed the 
rebels, then at Ft. Henry won another victory. 
Then came the brilliant fight at Ft. Donelson. 
The nation was electrified by the victory, and the 
brave leader of the boys in blue was immediately 
made a Major-General, and the military district 
of Tennessee was assigned to him. 

Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well 
how to secure the results of victory. He imme- 
diately pushed on to the enemies' lines. Then 
came the terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, 
Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. 
Pemberton made an unconditional surrender of 
the city with over thirty thousand men and one 
hundred and seventy -two cannon. The fall of 
Vicksburg was by far the most severe blow which 
the rebels had thus far encountered, and opened 
up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. 

Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with 
Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- 
ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown 
from his horse, and received severe injuries, from 
which he was laid up for months. He then 
rushed to the aid of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas 
at Chattanooga, and by a wonderful series of 
strategic and technical measures put the Union 
army in fighting condition. Then followed the 
bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout Moun- 
tain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels 
were routed with great loss. This won for him 
unbounded praise in the North. On the 4th of 
February, 1864, Congress revived the grade of 
lieutenant-general, and the rank was conferred 
on Gen. Grant. He repaired to Washington to 
receive his credentials and enter upon the duties 
of his new office. 

Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge 
of the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed 
National troops for an attack upon Richmond, 
the nominal capital of the rebellion, and endeavor 
there to destroy the rebel armies which would be 
promptly assembled from all quarters for its de- 
fense. The whole continent seemed to tremble 
under the tramp of these majestic armies, rushing 
to the decisive battle-field. Steamers were crowd- 
ed with troops. Railway trains were burdened 



with closely-packed thousands. His plans were 
comprehensive, and involved a series of cam- 
paigns, which were executed with remarkable 
energy and ability, and were consummated at the 
surrender of Lee, April 9, 1865. 

The war was ended. The Union was saved. 
The almost unanimous voice of the nation de- 
clared Gen. Grant to be the most prominent in- 
strument in its salvation. The eminent services 
he had thus rendered the country brought him 
conspicuously forward as the Republican candi- 
date for the Presidential chair. 

At the Republican Convention held at Chicago, 
May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated 
for the Presidency, and at the autumn election 
received a majority of the popular vote, and two 
hundred and fourteen out of two hundred and 
ninety-four electoral votes. 

The National Convention of the Republican 
party, which met at Philadelphia on the 5th ot 
June, 1872, placed Gen. Grant in nomination for 
a second term by a unanimous vote. The selec- 
tion was emphatically indorsed by the people five 
months later, two hundred and ninety-two elect- 
oral votes being cast for him. 

Soon after the close of his second term, Gen. 
Grant started upon his famous trip around the 
world. He visited almost every country of the 
civilized world, and was everywhere received 
with such ovations and demonstrations of respect 
and honor, private as well as public and official, 
as were never before bestowed upon any citizen 
of the United States. 

He was the most prominent candidate before 
the Republican National Convention in 1880 for 
a renomination for President. He went to New 
York and embarked in the brokerage business 
under the firm name of Grant & Ward. The 
latter proved a villain, wrecked Grant's fortune, 
and for larceny was sent to the penitentiary-. 
The General was attacked with cancer in the 
throat, but suffered in his stoic-like manner, never 
complaining. He was re-instated as General of 
the Army, and retired by Congress. The cancer 
soon finished its deadly work, and July 23, 1885, 
the nation went in mourning over the death 01 
the illustrious General. 




RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



RUTHERFORD R HAYES. 



RUTHERFORD B. HAYES, the nineteenth 
President of the United States, was born in 
Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1822, almost 
three months after the death of his father, Ruther- 
ford Hayes. His ancestry on both the paternal and 
maternal sides was of the most honorable char- 
acter. It can be traced, it is said, as far back as 
1280, when Hayes and Rutherford were two 
Scottish chieftains, fighting side by side with 
Baliol, William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Both 
families belonged to the nobility, owned extensive 
estates, and had a large following. Misfortune 
overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scotland 
in 1680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son 
George was born in Windsor, and remained there 
during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, 
married Sarah Dee, and lived from the time of 
his marriage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. 
Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was born in 1724, and was 
a manufacturer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. 
Rutherford Hayes, son of Ezekiel and grandfather 
of President Hayes, was born in New Haven, in 
August, 1756. He was a farmer, blacksmith and 
tavern-keeper. He emigrated to Vermont at an 
unknown date, settling in Brattleboro, where he 
established a hotel. Here his son, Rutherford 
Hayes, the father of President Hayes, was born. 
He was married, in September, 1813, to Sophia 
Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors 
emigrated thither from Connecticut, they having 
been among the wealthiest and best families of 
Norwich. Her ancestry on the male side is 
traced back to 1635, to John Birchard, one of the 
principal founders of Norwich. Both of her grand- 
fathers were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. 

The father of President Hayes was an industri- 
ous, frugal, yet open-hearted man. He was of a 



mechanical turn of mind, and could mend a plow, 
knit a stocking, or do almost anything else that 
he chose to undertake. He was a member of the 
church, active in all the benevolent enterprises 
of the town, and conducted his business on Chris- 
tian principles. After the close of the War of 
1 81 2, for reasons inexplicable to his neighbors, he 
resolved to emigrate to Ohio. 

The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day, 
when there were no canals, steamers, or rail- 
ways, was a very serious affair. A tour of in- 
spection was first made, occupying four months. 
Mr. Hayes decided to move to Delaware, where 
the family arrived in 181 7. He died July 22, 
1822, a victim of malarial fever, less than three 
months before the birth of the son of whom we 
write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore bereavement, 
found the support she so much needed in her 
brother Sardis, who had been a member of the 
household from the day of its departure from 
Vermont, and in an orphan girl, whom she had 
adopted some time before as an act of charity. 

Rutherford was seven years old before he went 
to school. His education, however, was not neg- 
lected. He probably learned as much from his 
mother and sister as he would have done at 
school. His sports were almost wholly within 
doors, his playmates being his sister and her asso- 
ciates. These circumstances tended, no doubt, to 
foster that gentleness of disposition and that del- 
icate consideration for the feelings of others which 
were marked traits of his character. 

His uncle, Sardis Birchard, took the deepest 
interest in his education; and as the boy's health 
had improved, and he was making good progress 
in his studies, he proposed to send him to college. 
His preparation commenced with a tutor at home; 



9 2 



RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



but he was afterwards sent for one year to a pro- 
fessor in the Wesleyan University in Middletown, 
Conn. He entered Kenyon College in 1838, at 
the age of sixteen, and was graduated at the head 
of his class in 1842. 

Immediately after his graduation he began the 
study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, 
Esq., in Columbus. Finding his opportunities 
for study in Columbus somewhat limited, he de- 
termined to enter the Law School at Cambridge, 
Mass., where he remained two years. 

In 1S45, after graduating at the Law School, he 
was admitted to the Bar at Marietta, Ohio, and 
shortly afterward went into practice as an at- 
torney-at-law with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fre- 
mont. Here he remained three years, acquiring 
but a limited practice, and apparently unambitious 
of distinction in his profession. 

In 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his am- 
bition found a new stimulus. For several years, 
however, his progress was slow. Two events 
occurring at this period had a powerful influence 
upon his subsequent life. One of these was his 
marriage with Miss Lucy Ware Webb, daughter 
of Dr. James Webb, of Chillicothe; the other was 
his introduction to the Cincinnati Literary Club, 
a body embracing among its members such men 
as Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, Gen. John 
Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many others 
hardly less distinguished in after life. The mar- 
riage was a fortunate one in every respect, as 
everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of 
our Presidents was more universally admired, 
reverenced and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and 
no one did more than she to reflect honor upon 
American womanhood. The LiteraryClub brought 
Mr. Hayes into constant association with young 
men of high character and noble aims, and lured 
him to display the qualities so long hidden by his 
bashfulness and modesty. 

In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge 
of the Court of Common Pleas, but he declined to 
accept the nomination. Two years later, the of- 
fice of City Solicitor becoming vacant, the City 
Council elected him for the unexpired term. 

In 1 86 1, when the Rebellion broke out, he was 
at the zenith of his professional life. His rank at 



the Bar was among the first. But the news of 
the attack on Ft. Sumter found him eager to 
take up arms for the defense of his country. 

His military record was bright and illustrious. 
In October, 1861, he was made Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel, and in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of 
the Seventy-ninth Ohio Regiment, but he refused 
to leave his old comrades and go among strangers. 
Subsequently, however, he was made Colonel of 
his old regiment. At the battle of South Moun- 
tain he received a wound, and while faint and 
bleeding displayed courage and fortitude that 
won admiration from all. 

Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, 
after his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, 
and placed in command of the celebrated Kanawha 
division, and for gallant and meritorious services 
in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and 
Cedar Creek, he was promoted Brigadier-General. 
He was also breveted Major-General, "for gallant 
and distinguished services during the campaigns 
of 1864, in West Virginia." In the course of his 
arduous services, four horses were shot from un- 
der him, and he was wounded four times. 

In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress 
from the Second Ohio District, which had long 
been Democratic. He was not present during the 
campaign, and after the election was importuned 
to resign his commission in the army; but he fi- 
nally declared, " I shall never come to Washing- 
ton until I can come by way of Richmond. ' ' He 
was re-elected in 1866. 

In 1867, Gen. Hayes was elected Governor of 
Ohio, over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a popular 
Democrat, and in 1869 was re-elected over George 
H. Pendleton. He was elected Governor for the 
third term in 1875. 

In 1876 he was the standard-bearer of the Re- 
publican party in the Presidential contest, and 
after a hard, long contest was chosen President, 
and was inaugurated Monday, March 5, 1877. 
He served his full term, not, however, with satis- 
faction to his party, but his administration was an 
average one. The remaining years of his life 
were passed quietly in his Ohio home, where he 
passed away January 17, 1893. 




JAMES A. GARFIELD. 



JAMES A. GARFIELD. 



(TAMES A. GARFIELD, twentieth President 
I of the United States, was born November 19, 
Q) 1 83 1, in the woods of Orange, Cuyahoga 
County, Ohio. His parents were Abram and 
Eliza (Ballou) Garfield, both of New England 
ancestry, and from families well known in the 
early history of that section of our country, but 
who had moved to the Western Reserve, in Ohio, 
early in its settlement. 

The house in which James A. was born was 
not unlike the houses of poor Ohio farmers of 
that day. It was about 20 x 30 feet, built of logs, 
with the spaces between the logs filled with clay. 
His father was a hard-working farmer, and he 
soon had his fields cleared, an orchard planted, 
and a log barn built. The household comprised 
the father and mother and their four children, 
Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and James. In May, 
1823, the father died from a cold contracted in 
helping to put out a forest fire. At this time 
James was about eighteeu months old, and 
Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, 
can tell how much James was indebted to his 
brother's toil and self-sacrifice during the twenty 
years succeeding his father's death. He now 
lives in Michigan, and the two sisters live in Solon, 
Ohio, near their birthplace. 

The early educational advantages young Gar- 
field enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the 
most of them. He labored at farm work for 
others, did carpenter work, chopped wood, or did 
anything that would bring in a few dollars to aid 
his widowed mother in her struggles to keep the 
little family together. Nor was Gen. Garfield 
ever ashamed of his origin, and he never forgot 
the friends of his struggling childhood, youth and 
manhood; neither did they ever forget him. 
When in the highest seats of honor, the humblest 
friend of his boyhood was as kindly greeted as 
ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the sym- 
pathy of one who had known all the bitterness of 



want and the sweetness of bread earned by the 
sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, 
plain, modest gentleman. 

The highest ambition of young Garfield until 
he was about sixteen years old was to be cap- 
tain of a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious 
to go aboard a vessel, but this his mother strong^ 
opposed. She finally consented to his going to 
Cleveland, with the understanding, however, that 
he should try to obtain some other kind of em- 
ployment. He walked all the way to Cleveland. 
This was his first visit to the city. After making 
many applications for work, and trying to get 
aboard a lake vessel and not meeting with suc- 
cess, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos 
Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. 
He remained at this work but a short time, when 
he went home, and attended the seminary at 
Chester for about three years. He then entered 
Hiram and the Eclectic Institute, teaching a few 
terms of school in the mean time, and doing other 
work. This school was started by the Disciples 
of Christ in 1850, of which body he was then a 
member. He became janitor and bell-ringer in 
order to help pay his way. He then became both 
teacher and pupil. Soon " exhausting Hiram," 
and needing a higher education, in the fall of 1854 
he entered Williams College, from which he grad- 
uated in 1856, taking one of the highest honors of 
his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram Col- 
lege as its President. As above stated, he early 
united with the Christian, or Disciples, Church at 
Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous 
member, often preaching in its pulpit and places 
where he happened to be. 

Mr. Garfield was united in marriage, Novem- 
ber 11, 1858, with Miss Lucretia Rudolph, who 
proved herself worthy as the wife of one whom 
all the world loved. To them were born seven 
children, five of whom are still living, four boys 
and one girl. 



96 



JAMES A. GARFIELD. 



Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 
1856, in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and 
three years later he began to speak at county 
mass-meetings, and became the favorite speaker 
wherever he was. During this year he. was 
elected to the Ohio Senate. He also began to 
study law at Cleveland, and in 1861 was admitted 
to the Bar. The great Rebellion broke out in the 
early part of this year, and Mr. Garfield at once 
resolved to fight as he had talked, and enlisted to 
defend the Old Flag. He received his commission 
as Lieutenant- Colonel of the Forty-second Regi- 
ment of Ohio Infantry August 14, 1861. He 
was immediately put into active service, and be- 
fore he had ever seen a gun fired in action, was 
placed in command of four regiments of infantry 
and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the 
work of driving out of his native State the able 
rebel officer, Humphrey Marshall, of Kentucky. 
This work was bravely and speedily accomplished, 
although against great odds, and President Lin- 
coln commissioned him Brigadier-General, Janu- 
ary 10, 1862; and "as he had been the youngest 
man in the Ohio Senate two years before, so now 
he was the youngest General in the army." He 
was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, in its 
operations around Corinth and its march through 
Alabama. He was then detailed as a member of 
the general court martial for the trial of Gen. 
Fitz-John Porter. He was next ordered to re- 
port to Gen. Rosecrans, and was assigned to the 
" Chief of Staff." The military history of Gen. 
Garfield closed with his brilliant services at Chick - 
amauga, where he won the rank of Major-General. 

Without an effort on his part, Gen. Garfield 
was elected to Congress in the fall of 1862, from 
the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of 
Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty 
years mainly by two men — Elisha Whittlesey and 
Joshua R. Giddings. It was not without a strug- 
gle that he resigned his place in the army. At 
the time he entered Congress he was the youngest 
member in that body. There he remained by 
successive re-elections until he was elected Presi- 
dent, in 1880. Of his labors in Congress, Senator 
Hoar says: "Since the year 1864 you cannot 
think of a question which has been debated in 



Congress, or discussed before a tribunal of the 
American people, in regard to which you will not 
find, if you wish instruction, the argument on 
one side stated, in almost every instance better 
than by anybody else, in some speech made in 
the House of Representatives or on the hustings 
by Mr. Garfield." 

Upon January 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elect- 
ed to the United States Senate, and on the 8th of 
June, of the same year, was nominated as the 
candidate of his party for President at the great 
Chicago Convention. He was elected in the fol- 
lowing November, and on March 4, 188 1, was 
inaugurated. Probably no administration ever 
opened its existence under brighter auspices than 
that of President Garfield, and every day it grew 
in favor with the people. By the 1st of July 
he had completed all the initiatory and prelimi- 
nary work of his administration, and was prepar- 
ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Will- 
iams College. While on his way and at the 
depot, in company with Secretary Blaine, a man 
stepped behind him, drew a revolver, and fired 
directly at his back. The President tottered and 
fell, and as he did so the assassin fired a second 
shot, the bullet cutting the left coat sleeve of his 
victim, but inflicting no further injury. It has 
been very truthfully said that this was ' ' the shot 
that was heard around the world." Never before 
in the history of the nation had anything occur- 
red which so nearly froze the blood of the people 
for the moment as this awful deed. He was 
smitten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his 
life, at the summit of his power and hope. For 
eighty days, all during the hot months of July 
and August, he lingered and suffered. He, how- 
ever, remained master of himself till the last, and 
by his magnificent bearing taught the country 
and the world one of the noblest of human les- 
sons — how to live grandly in the very clutch of 
death. Great in life, he was surpassingly great 
in death. He passed serenely away September 
19, 1883, at Elberon, N. J., on the very bank of 
the ocean, where he had been taken shortly be- 
fore. The world wept at his death, as it rarely 
ever had done on the death of any other great 
and noble man. 




CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



E HESTER A. ARTHUR, twenty-first Presi- 
dent of the United States, was born in Frank- 
lin County, Vt. , on the 5th day of October, 
1830, and was the eldest of a family of two sons 
and five daughters. His father was the Rev. Dr. 
William Arthur, a Baptist clergyman, who emi- 
grated to this country from County Antrim, Ire- 
land, in his eighteenth year, and died in 1875, in 
Newtonville, near Albany, after a long and suc- 
cessful ministry. 

Young Arthur was educated at Union College, 
Schenectady, where he excelled in all his studies. 
After his graduation he taught school in Ver- 
mont for two years, and at the expiration of that 
time came to New York, with $500 in his pocket, 
and entered the office of ex -Judge E. D. Culver 
as a student. After being admitted to the Bar, he 
formed a partnership with his intimate friend and 
room-mate, Henry D. Gardiner, with the inten- 
tion of practicing in the West, and for three 
months they roamed about in the Western States 
in search of an eligible site, but in the end re- 
turned to New York, where they hung out their 
shingle, and entered upon a successful career al- 
most from the start. Gen. Arthur soon after mar- 
ried the daughter of Lieut. Herndon, of the 
United States Navy, who was lost at sea. Con- 
gress voted a gold medal to his widow in recog- 
nition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- 
sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. 
Arthur's nomination to the Vice-Presidency, leav- 
ing two children. 

Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celeb- 
rity in his first great case, the famous Lemmon 
suit, brought to recover possession of eight slaves 
who had been declared free by Judge Paine, of 
the Superior Court of New York City. It was in 

LOfC 



1852 that Jonathan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to 
New York with his slaves, intending to ship them 
to Texas, when they were discovered and freed. 
The Judge decided that they could not be held by 
the owner under the Fugitive Slave Law. A howl 
of rage went up from the South, and the Virginia 
Legislature authorized the Attorney-General of 
that State to assist in an appeal. William M. 
Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed to 
represent the people, and they won their case, 
which then went to the Supreme Court of the 
United States. Charles O' Conor here espoused 
the cause of the slaveholders, but he, too, was 
beaten by Messrs. Evarts and Arthur, and a long 
step was taken toward the emancipation of the 
black race. 

Another great sendee was rendered by Gen. 
Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jen- 
nings, a respectable colored woman, was put off 
a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had 
paid her fare. Gen. Arthur sued on her behalf, 
and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next 
day the company issued an order to admit colored 
persons to ride on their cars, and the other car 
companies quickly followed their example. Be- 
fore that the Sixth Avenue Company ran a few 
special cars for colored persons, and the other lines 
refused to let them ride at all. 

Gen. Arthur was a delegate to the convention 
at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. 
Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of 
the Second Brigade of the State of New York, 
and Gov. Morgan, of that State, appointed him 
Engineer-in-Chief of his staff. In 1 861, he was 
made Inspector-General, and soon afterward be- 
came Quartermaster-General. In each of these 
offices he rendered great service to the Govern- 



IOO 



CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



ment during the war. At the end of Gov. Mor- 
gan's term he resumed the practice of law, form- 
ing a partnership with Mr. Ransom, and then 
Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney of New York, 
was added to the firm. The legal practice of this 
well-known firm was very large and lucrative, 
as each of the gentlemen composing it was an able 
lawyer, and possessed a splendid local reputa- 
tion, if not, indeed, one of national extent. 

Mr. Arthur always took a leading part in State 
and city politics. He was appointed Collector of 
the Port of New York by President Grant, No- 
vember 21, 1872, to succeed Thomas Murphy, 
and he held the office until July 20, 1878, when 
he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. 

Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential 
ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the 
famous National Republican Convention held at 
Chicago in June, 1880. This was perhaps the 
greatest political convention that ever assembled 
on the continent. It was composed of the lead- 
ing politicians of the Republican party, all able 
men, and each stood firm and fought vigorously 
and with signal tenacity for his respective can- 
didate that was before the convention for the 
nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield received the 
nomination for President, and Gen. Arthur for 
Vice-President. The campaign which followed 
was one of the most animated known in the his- 
tory of our country. Gen. Hancock, the stand- 
ard-bearer of the Democratic party, was a popular 
man, and his party made a valiant fight for his 
election. 

Finally the election came, and the country's 
choice was Garfield and Arthur. They were in- 
augurated March 4, 188 1, as President and Vice- 
President. A few months only had passed ere 
the newly-chosen President was the victim of the 
assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of 
suffering — those moments of anxious suspense, 
when the hearts of all civilized nations were 
throbbing in unison, longing for the recovery of 
the noble, the good President. The remarkable 
patience that he manifested during those hours 
and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible 
suffering man has ever been called upon to en- 
dure, was seemingly more than human. It was 



certainly godlike. During all this period of 
deepest anxiety Mr. Arthur's every move was 
watched, and, be it said to his credit, that his every 
action displayed only an earnest desire that the 
suffering Garfield might recover to serve the re- 
mainder of the term he had so auspiciously be- 
gun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in 
deed or look of this man, even though the most 
honored position in the world was at any moment 
likely to fall to him. 

At last God in his mercy relieved President 
Garfield from further suffering, and the world, as 
never before in its history over the death of any 
other man, wept at his bier. Then it became the 
duty of the Vice-President to assume the respon- 
sibilities of the high office, and he took the oath 
in New York, September 20, 1881. The position 
was an embarrassing one to him, made doubly so 
from the fact that all eyes were on him, anxious 
to know what he would do, what policy he would 
pursue, and whom he would select as advisers. 
The duties of the office had been greatly neglected 
during the President' s long illness, and many im- 
portant measures were to be immediately decided 
by him; and to still further embarass him he did 
not fail to realize under what circumstances he 
became President, and knew the feelings of many 
on this point. Under these trying circumstances, 
President Arthur took the reins of the Govern- 
ment in his own hands, and, as embarrassing as 
was the condition of affairs, he happily surprised 
the nation, acting so wisely that but few criticized 
his administration. He served the nation well 
and faithfully until the close of his administra- 
tion, March 4, 1885, and was a popular candidate 
before his party for a second term. His name 
was ably presented before the convention at Chi- 
cago, and was received with great favor, and 
doubtless but for the personal popularity of one 
of the opposing candidates, he would have been 
selected as the standard-bearer of his party for 
another campaign. He retired to private life, car- 
rying with him the best wishes of the American 
people, whom he had served in a manner satisfac- 
tory to them and with credit to himself. One 
year later he was called to his final rest. 




STEPHEN GROVER CLEVELAND. 



STEPHEN GROVER CLEVELAND. 



jTEPHEN GROVER CLEVELAND, the 
twenty -second President of the United States, 
was born in 1837, i n the obscure town of 
Caldwell, Essex County, N. J., and in a little 
two-and-a-half-story white house, which is still 
standing to characteristically mark the humble 
birthplace of one of America's great men, in 
striking contrast with the Old World, where all 
men high in office must be high in origin and 
born in the cradle of wealth. When the subject 
of this sketch was three years of age, his father, 
who was a Presbyterian minister with a large 
family and a small salary, moved, by way of the 
Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Fayetteville, N. 
Y., in search of an increased income and a larger 
field of work. Fayetteville was then the most 
straggling of country villages, about five miles 
from Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour 
was born. 

At the last-mentioned place young Grover com- 
menced going to school in the good, old-fashioned 
way, and presumably distinguished himself after 
the manner of all village boys — in doing the 
things he ought not to do. Such is the dis- 
tinguishing trait of all geniuses and independent 
thinkers. When he arrived at the age of four- 
teen years, he had outgrown the capacity of the 
village school, and expressed a most emphatic de- 
sire to be sent to an academy. To this his fa- 
ther decidedly objected. Academies in those 
days cost money; besides, his father wanted him 
to become self-supporting by the quickest pos- 
sible means, and this at that time in Fayetteville 
seemed to be a position in a country store, where 
his father and the large family on his hands had 



considerable influence. Grover was to be paid 
$50 for his services the first year, and if he proved 
trustworthy he was to receive $100 the second 
year. Here the lad commenced his career as 
salesman, and in two years he had earned so good 
a reputation for trustworthiness that his employ- 
ers desired to retain him for an indefinite length 
of time. 

But instead of remaining with this firm in 
Fayetteville, he went with the family in their re- 
moval to Clinton, where he had an opportunity 
of attending a High School. Here he industri- 
ously pursued his studies until the family re- 
moved with him to a point on Black River known 
as the "Holland Patent," a village of five or six 
hundred people, fifteen miles north of Utica, N. Y. 
At this place his father died, after preaching but 
three Sundays. This event broke up the family, 
and Grover set out for New York City to accept, 
at a small salary, the position of under-teacher 
in an asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully 
for two years, and although he obtained a good 
reputation in this capacity, he concluded that 
teaching was not his calling in life, and, revers- 
ing the traditional order, he left the city to seek 
his fortune, instead of going to the city. He first 
thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as there was some 
charm in that name for him; but before proceed- 
ing to that place he went to Buffalo to ask advice 
of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted stock- 
breeder of that place. The latter did not speak 
enthusiastically. 'What is it you want to do, 
my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study 
law," was the reply "Good gracious!" remarked 
the old gentleman; " do you, indeed? Whatever 



104 



STEPHEN GROVER CLEVELAND. 



put that into your head ? How much money 
have you got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I 
haven't got any." 

After a long consultation, his uncle offered him 
a place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at 
$50 a year, while he could look around. One 
day soon afterward he boldly walked into the of- 
fice of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and 
told them what he wanted. A number of young 
men were already engaged in the office, but Gra- 
ver's persistency won, and he was finally per- 
mitted to come as an office boy and have the use 
of the law library, receiving as wages the sum of 
$3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for his 
board and washing. The walk to and from his 
uncle's was a long and rugged one; and although 
the first winter was a memorably severe one, his 
shoes were out of repair, and as for his overcoat he 
had none; yet he was, nevertheless, prompt and 
regular. On the first day of his service there, his 
senior employer threw down a copy of Black- 
stone before him, with a bang that made the dust 
fly, saying "That's where they all begin." A 
titter ran around the little circle of clerks and 
students, as they thought that was enough to 
scare young Graver out of his plans; but in due 
time he mastered that cumbersome volume. 
Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleve- 
land exhibited a talent for executiveness rather 
than for chasing principles through all their 
metaphysical possibilities. "Let us quit talking 
and go and do it, ' ' was practically his motto. 

The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland 
was elected was that of Sheriff of Erie County, 
N. Y., in which Buffalo is situated; and in such 
capacity it fell to his duty to inflict capital punish- 
ment upon two criminals. In 1881 he was 
eiected Mayor of the City of Buffalo, on the 
Democratic ticket, with especial reference to bring- 
ing about certain reforms in the administration 
of the municipal affairs of that city. In this of- 
fice, as well as in that of Sheriff, his performance 
of duty has generally been considered fair, with 
possibly a few exceptions, which were ferreted 
out and magnified during his Presidential cam- 
paign. As a specimen of his plain language in 
a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an 



iniquitous street-cleaning contract: "This is a 
time for plain speech, and my objection to your 
action shall be plainly stated. I regard it as the 
culmination of a most bare-faced, impudent and 
shameless scheme to betray the interests of the 
people and to worse than squander the people's 
money." The New York Sun afterward very 
highly commended Mr. Cleveland's administra- 
tion as Mayor of Buffalo, and thereupon recom- 
mended him for Governor of the Empire State. 
To the latter office he was elected in 1882, and 
his administration of the affairs of State was 
generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, 
if any, were made very public throughout the na- 
tion after he was nominated for President of the 
United States. For this high office he was 
nominated July 11, 1884, by the National Demo- 
cratic Convention at Chicago, when other com- 
petitors were Thomas F. Bayard, Roswell P. 
Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, Benjamin F. 
Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he was 
elected by the people, by a majority of about a 
thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Re- 
publican statesman, James G. Blaine. President 
Cleveland resigned his office as Governor of New 
York in January, 1885, in order to prepare for 
his duties as the Chief Executive of the United 
States, in which capacity his term commenced at 
noon on the 4th of March, 1885. 

The silver question precipitated a controversy 
between those who were in favor of the continu- 
ance of silver coinage and those who were op- 
posed, Mr. Cleveland answering for the latter, 
even before his inauguration. 

On June 2, 1886, President Cleveland married 
Frances, daughter of his deceased friend and part- 
ner, Oscar Folsom, of the Buffalo Bar. In the 
campaign of 1888, President Cleveland was re- 
nominated by his party, but the Republican candi- 
date, Gen. Benjamin Harrison, was victorious. 
In the nomination of 1892 these two candidates 
for the highest position in the gift of the people 
were again pitted against each other, and in the 
ensuing election President Cleveland was victori- 
ous by an overwhelming majority. Since the 
close of his second term, he has resided in Prince- 
ton, N. J. 




BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



BENJAMIN HARRISON, the twenty-third 
\\ President, is the descendant of one of the 
,J historical families of this country. The first 
known head of the family was Maj.-Gen. Harrison, 
one of Oliver Cromwell's trusted followers and 
fighters. In the zenith of Cromwell's power it be- 
came the duty of this Harrison to participate in 
the trial of Charles I., and afterward to sign the 
death warrant of the king. He subsequently 
paid for this with his life, being hung-October 13, 
1660. His descendants came to America, and 
the next of the family that appears in history is 
Benjamin Harrison, of Virginia, great-grandfa- 
ther of the subject of this sketch, and after whom 
he was named. Benjamin Harrison was a mem- 
ber of the Continental Congress during the years 
1774, 1775 and 1776, and was one of the original 
signers of the Declaration of Independence. He 
was three times elected Governor of Virginia. 

Gen. William Henry Harrison, the son of the 
distinguished patriot of the Revolution, after a 
successful career as a soldier during the War of 
1 8 12, and with a clean record as Governor of the 
Northwestern Territory, was elected President of 
the United States in 1840. His career was cut 
short by death within one month after his in- 
auguration. 

President Harrison was born at North Bend, 



Hamilton County, Ohio, August 20, 1833. His 
life up to the time of his graduation from Miami 
University, at Oxford, Ohio, was the uneventful 
one of a country lad of a family of small means. 
His father was able to give him a good education, 
and nothing more. He became engaged while at 
college to the daughter of Dr. Scott, Principal of 
a female school at Oxford. After graduating, he 
determined to enter upon the study of law. He 
went to Cincinnati and there read law for two 
years. At the expiration of that time young Har- 
rison received the only inheritance of his life — his 
aunt, dying, left him a lot valued at $800. He 
regarded this legacy as a fortune, and decided to 
get married at once, take this money and go to 
some Eastern town and begin the practice of law. 
He sold his lot, and, with the money in his pocket, 
he started out with his young wife to fight for a 
place in the world. He decided to go to Indian- 
apolis, which was even at that time a town of 
promise. He met with slight encouragement at 
first, making scarcely anything the first year. 
He worked diligently, applying himself closely to 
his calling, built up an extensive practice and 
took a leading rank in the legal profession. 

In i860, Mr. Harrison was nominated for the 
position of Supreme Court Reporter, and then be- 
gan his experience as a stump speaker. He can- 



io8 



BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



vassed the State thoroughly, and was elected by 
a handsome majority. In 1862 he raised the 
Seventeenth Indiana Infantry, and was chosen its 
Colonel. His regiment was composed of the raw- 
est material, but Col. Harrison employed all his 
time at first in mastering military tactics and drill- 
ing his men, and when he came to move toward 
the East with Sherman, his regiment was one of 
the best drilled and organized in the army. At 
Resaca he especially distinguished himself, and 
for his bravery at Peachtree Creek he was made 
a Brigadier- General, Gen. Hooker speaking of 
him in the most complimentary terms. 

During the absence of Gen. Harrison in the 
field, the Supreme Court declared the office of 
Supreme Court Reporter vacant, and another 
person was elected to the position. From the 
time of leaving Indiana with his regiment until 
the fall of 1864 he had taken no leave of absence, 
but having been nominated that year for the same 
office, he got a thirty-day leave of absence, and 
during that time made a brilliant canvass of the 
State, and was elected for another term. He then 
started to rejoin Sherman, but on the way was 
stricken down with scarlet fever, and after a most 
trying attack made his way to the front in time to 
participate in the closing incidents of the war. 

In 1S68 Gen. Harrison declined a re-election 
as Reporter, and resumed the practice of law. In 
1876 he was a candidate for Governor. Although 
defeated, the brilliant campaign he made won for 
him a national reputation, and he was much sought 
after, especially in the East, to make speeches. 
In 1880, as usual, he took an active part in the 
campaign, and was elected to the United States 
Senate. Here he served for six years, and was 
known as one of the ablest men, best lawyers and 
strongest debaters in that bod}'. With the ex- 
piration of his senatorial term he returned to the 
practice of his profession, becoming the head of 
one of the strongest firms in the State. 

The political campaign of 1888 was one of the 
most memorable in the history of our country. 
The convention which assembled in Chicago in 
June and named Mr. Harrison as the chief stand- 
ard-bearer of the Republican part} - was great in 
every particular, and on this account, and the at- 



titude it assumed upon the vital questions of the 
day, chief among which was the tariff, awoke a 
deep interest in the campaign throughout the 
nation. Shortly after the nomination, delegations 
began to visit Mr. Harrison at Indianapolis, his 
home. This movement became popular, and from 
all sections of the country societies, clubs and 
delegations journeyed thither to pay their re- 
spects to the distinguished statesman. 

Mr. Harrison spoke daily all through the sum- 
mer and autumn to these visiting delegations, 
and so varied, masterly, and eloquent were his 
speeches that they at once placed him in the fore- 
most rank of American orators and statesmen. 
Elected by a handsome majority, he served his 
country faithfully and well, and in 1892 was nom- 
inated for re-election; but the people demanded a 
change and he was defeated by his predecessor 
in office, Grover Cleveland. 

On account of his eloquence as a speaker and 
his power as a debater, Gen. Harrison was called 
upon at an early age to take part in the dis- 
cussion of the great questions that then began to 
agitate the country. He was an uncompromising 
anti-slavery man, and was matched against some 
of the most eminent Democratic speakers of his 
State. No man who felt the touch of his blade 
desired to be pitted with him again. With all 
his eloquence as an orator he never spoke for ora- 
torical effect, but his words always went like bul- 
lets to the mark. He is purely American in his 
ideas, and is a splendid type of the American 
statesman. Gifted with quick perception, a logi- 
cal mind and a ready tongue, he is one of the 
most distinguished impromptu speakers in the 
nation. Many of these speeches sparkled with the 
rarest eloquence and contained arguments of great 
weight, and many of his terse statements have 
already become aphorisms. Original in thought, 
precise in logic, terse in statement, yet withal 
faultless in eloquence, he is recognized as the 
sound statesman and brilliant orator of the day. 
By his first wife, Caroline (Scott) Harrison, he 
had a son and daughter. In 1896 he married 
Mrs. Mary (Scott) Dimmick, and they, with their 
daughter, reside in Indianapolis, Ind., where he 
has made his home since early manhood. 




william Mckinley. 



william Mckinley. 



pQlLLIAM McKINLEY, who was inaugu- 
\ A / rated President of the United States in 1897, 
Y V was born in Niles, Ohio, January 29, 1843. 
The family of which he is a member originated 
in the west of Scotland, and from there removed 
to the north of Ireland. According to the fam- 
ily tradition, James and William McKinley emi- 
grated to this country from Ireland and founded 
the two branches of the family in the United 
States, one settling in the north, the other in the 
south. At the time of their arrival, James was 
twelve years of age. He settled in York County, 
Pa., where he married and spent his remaining 
years. 

David, son of James, and the great-grandfather 
of William McKinley, was born May 16, 1755, 
and three times enlisted in the service of the 
colonies during the Revolutionary War, serving 
seven months after his first enlistment in June, 
1776, spending six months at the front in 1777, 
and again in the following year serving eight 
months. December 19, 1780, he married Sarah 
Gray, who was born May 10, 1760, and died 
October 6, 1814. For fifteen years he lived in 
Westmoreland County, Pa., and thence removed 
to Mercer County. One year after the death 
of his first wife he married Eleanor McLean 
and about the same time settled in Colum- 
biana County, Ohio, but afterward made his home 
in Crawford County, where he died August 8, 
1840. 

James, grandfather of William McKinley, was 
born September 19, 1783, married Mary (or 
"Polly") Rose, and with his family moved to New 
Lisbon, Ohio, in 1809. Their eldest son, Will- 
iam, Sr. , was born in Mercer County, Pa., 
November 15, 1807, and in 1827 married 
Nancy Allison, a woman of noble and strong 
character and consistent Christian life. For some 
years he was engaged as manager of iron fur- 
naces at different places. From Niles he re- 



moved to Poland, because of the educational ad- 
vantages offered by Poland Academy. In 1869 
he established his home in Canton, and here he 
died November 24, 1892. His widow lives at 
the family residence in Canton, and with her are 
her daughter, Miss Helen, and two orphan 
grandchildren. 

Of the family of nine children, William, Jr. , who 
was seventh in order of birth, was born during 
the residence of his parents at Niles, Ohio, Jan- 
uary 29, 1843. His boyhood years were spent 
in that place and Poland, where he studied in the 
academy. At the age of seventeen he entered 
Allegheny College, but illness caused his return 
to Poland, and on his recovery he did not return 
to college, but taught a country school. At the 
opening of the Civil War, though only eighteen 
years of age, he immediately wanted to enlist. 
As soon as he could overcome the objections of 
his mother, he enlisted, in May of 1861, as a 
private in Company E, Twenty-third Ohio In- 
fantry. The regiment was commanded by Col. 
W. S. Rosecrans, who afterward, as general, led 
his forces on many a bloody battle field, and the 
first major was Rutherford B. Hayes, afterward 
President of the United States. As a gallant 
soldier Mr. McKinley soon won promotion, serving 
for a time as commissary sergeant, later was pro- 
moted to the rank of second lieutenant for gal- 
lantry at Antietam, and then won his way up- 
ward until, at the close of the war, he was pro- 
moted to major by brevet. July 26, 1865, after 
more than four years of hard service, he was 
mustered out with his regiment. 

With Judge Charles E. Glidden, of Mahoning 
County, Mr. McKinley began the study of law, 
which he afterward carried on in the Albany 
(N. Y. ) Law School, and in 1867 was admitted 
to the bar. Beginning the practice of his pro- 
fession in Canton, he soon became prominently 
known among the able attorneys of the city. His 



112 



WltLlAM McKINLEY. 



first connection with political affairs was in 1869, 
when he was elected prosecuting attorney of Stark 
County, and this office he held for two years. 
In 1876 he was nominated for Congressional 
honors and was elected to the Forty-fifth Con- 
gress, afterward by successive re-elections serv- 
ing for fourteen years. In March of 1890 he in- 
troduced the celebrated McKinley tariff bill, 
which was passed and became a law. In the fol- 
lowing year, 1891, he was elected governor of 
Ohio, and two years afterward was re-elected to 
that high office, which he filled in such a manner 
as to command the respect not only of his own 
party — the Republican — but his political op- 
ponents as well. The connection of his name 
with the tariff bill and his prominence in the Re- 
publican party, together with his force and elo- 
quence as a speaker, brought him into national 
fame. In the campaign of 1892, for a period of 
more than three months, he traveled over a 
territory extending from New York to Nebraska, 
making speeches in the interest of the Republi- 
can platform. Those who heard him speak, 
whether friends or opponents of his political 
opinions, cannot but have admired his logical 
reasoning, breadth of intellect, eloquence of speech 
and modesty of demeanor. During the campaign 
of 1894 he made three hundred and seventy -one 
speeches and visited over three hundred towns, 
within a period of two months, addressing perhaps 
two million people. 

The tariff issue and all the intricate questions 
of public revenue that are interwoven with it, 
constitute the most complicated problems with 
which a statesman has to deal. To master them 
in every detail requires an intellect of the high- 
est order. That Major McKinley thoroughly un- 
derstands these questions is admitted by all who 
have investigated his official utterances on the 
subject, beginning with the speech on the Wood 
tariff bill, delivered in the house of representatives 
April 15, 1878, and closing with his speech in 
favor of the tariff bill of 1890, which as chairman 
of the ways and means committee he reported to 
the house and which was subsequently passed and 
is known throughout the world as the McKinley 
tariff bill of 1890. He opposed the Wood bill be- 
cause of a conviction that the proposed measure 



would, if enacted, prove a public calamity. For 
the same reason, in 1882, he advocated a friendly 
revision of the tariff by a tariff commission, to be 
authorized by congress and appointed by the 
president. In 1884 he opposed the Morrison 
horizontal bill, which he denounced as ambiguous 
for a great public statute, and in 1888 he led the 
forces in the fight against the Mills tariff bill. 

As governor of Ohio, his policy was conserva- 
tive. He aimed to give to the public institutions 
the benefit of the service of the best man of the 
state, and at all times upheld the legitimate rights 
of the workingmen. Recognizing the fact that 
the problem of taxation needed regulation, in 
his messages of 1892, 1893 and 1894, he urged 
the legislature that a remedy be applied. In 
1892 he recommended legislation for the safety 
and comfort of steam railroad employes, and the 
following year urged the furnishing of automatic 
couplers and air-brakes for all railroad cars used 
in the state. 

When, in 1896, the Republican party, in con- 
vention assembled at St. Louis, selected a man to 
represent their principles in the highest office 
within the gift of the American people, it was not 
a surprise to the public that the choice fell upon 
Major McKinley. The campaign that followed 
was one of the most exciting in the history of 
the country since the period of reconstruction. 
Especial interest centered in the fact that the 
point at issue seemed, not, as in former days, 
free trade or protection, but whether or not the 
government should declare for the free coinage of 
silver. This question divided the voters of the 
country upon somewhat different lines than the old- 
time principles of the Republican and Democratic 
parties and thus made the campaign a memorable 
one. The supporters of the gold standard main- 
tained that silver monometallism would precipi- 
tate a panic and permanently injure the business 
interests of the country, and the people, by a 
large majority, supported these principles. 

January 25, 1871, Major McKinley was united 
in marriage with Miss Ida Saxton, who was born 
in June, 1S47, the daughter of James A. Saxton. 
Their two children died in 1874, within a short 
time of each other, one at the age of three years 
and the other in infancy. 



HUNTERDON 



AND 



WARREN COUNTIES 



NEW JERSEY 



INTRODUCTORY 

glOGRAPHY alone can justly represent the progress of local history and portray with accuracy 
the relation of men to events. It is the only means of perpetuating the lives and deeds of 
those men to whom the advancement of a city or county and the enlightenment of its people 
are due. The compilers of this work have striven to honor, not only men of present prominence, 
but also, as far as possible, those who in years gone by labored to promote the welfare of their com- 
munity. The following sketches have been prepared from the standpoint of no man's prejudice, 
but with an impartial aim to render justice to progressive and public-spirited citizens and to collect 
personal records that will be of value to generations yet to come. 

To be forgotten has been the great dread of mankind from remotest ages. All will be forgotten 
soon enough, in spite of their best works and the most earnest efforts of their friends to preserve the 
memory of their lives. The means employed to prevent oblivion and to perpetuate their memory 
have been in proportion to the amount of intelligence they possessed. The pyramids of Egypt were 
built to perpetuate the names and deeds of their great rulers. The exhumations made by the 
archaeologists of Egypt from buried Memphis indicate a desire of those people to perpetuate the 
memory of their achievements. The erection of the great obelisks was for the same purpose. 
Coming down to a later period, we find the Greeks and Romans erecting mausoleums and 
monuments, and carving out statues to chronicle their great achievements and carry them down the 
ages. It is also evident that the Mound-builders, in piling up their great mounds of earth, had but 
this idea — to leave something to show that they had lived. All these works, though many of them 
costly in the extreme, give but a faint idea of the lives and character of those whose memory they 
were intended to perpetuate, and scarcely anything of the masses of the people that then lived. The 
great pyramids and some of the obelisks remain objects only of curiosity; the mausoleums, 
monuments and statues are crumbling into dust. 

It was left to modern ages to establish an intelligent, undecayiug, immutable method of 
perpetuating a full history — immutable in that it is almost unlimited in extent and perpetual in its 
action; and this is through the art of printing. 

To the present generation, however, we are indebted for the introduction of the admirable 
system of local biography. By this system every man, though he has not achieved what the world 
calls greatness, has the means to perpetuate his life, his history, through the coming ages. 

The scythe of Time cuts down all; nothing of the physical man is left. The monument which 
his children or friends may erect to his memory in the cemetery will crumble into dust and pass 
away; but his life, his achievements, the work he has accomplished, which otherwise would be 
forgotten, is perpetuated by a record of this kind. 

To preserve the lineaments of our companions we engrave their portraits; for the same reason 
we collect the attainable facts of their history. Nor do we think it necessary, as we speak only 
truth of them, to wait until they are dead, or until those who know them are gone; to do this we 
are ashamed only to publish to the world the history of those whose lives are unworthy of public 
record. 




JOHN I. BLAIR. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



30HN INSIvEY BLAIR. Among the most 
distinguished citizens of the state of New 
Jersey is the subject of this sketch. Nor is 
his fame merely local, as for nearly a half-cen- 
tury he has been ranked with the leading and 
influential railroad magnates of the United 
States. The history of his life is thoroughly in- 
teresting, containing, as it does, the annals of 
great obstacles overcome, of persistence and 
determination in carrying out whatever was 
undertaken, of genius and well-directed energy, 
of strict adherence to the noblest and highest 
principles of action and of regard for the welfare 
of his brother-men. Now, in the evening of 
life, he is passing his days peacefully and hap- 
pily, serene in the knowledge that he has been 
an important factor in the advancement of the 
civilization of the great and glorious nineteenth 
century. 

The life of Mr. Blair very nearly spans this 
century, as he was born August 2, 1802. His 
birthplace was upon a farm on the banks of the 
Delaware River, near Foul Rift, about two miles 
below Belvidere, N. J. He sprang from stanch 
Scotch-Irish ancestry, the name of Blair having 
been a familiar one in Scotland and in the north- 
ern part of Ireland for the past six centuries. 
They were always found upon the side of civil 
and religious liberty when the contest raged in 
their section of the world; and when the battle- 
ground was transferred, during the past two 
centuries, to the fresh and fruitful West on this 
continent, different members of the Blair family 
crossed the Atlantic, casting in their lot with the 
fortunes of our colonies, only changing the base 



of operations, the name, here as elsewhere, 
always being a synonym for freedom. 

The great-great-grandfather of John I. Blair 
bore the same Christian name, which appears to 
have been a favorite one in the family for genera- 
tions. His son Samuel, emigrating to this coun- 
try about 1730, married into the family of Dr. 
Shippen of Philadelphia, owner of large tracts of 
land on Scott's Mountain, including the mineral 
lauds of Oxford Furnace, N. J. Upon this 
property Mr. Blair took up his residence, living 
there until his death. His son John married 
Mar)' Cline, of Greenwich, N. J., and the five 
sons born of their union were John, Samuel, 
James, William and Robert. He was a man of 
much force of character, and was engaged in 
preaching, to some extent, in the vicinity of his 
home near Scott's Mountain. He departed this 
life in 1798, aged eighty-four years. James, the 
father of the subject of this article, was born in 
Oxford, N. J., August 5, 1769, and died upon 
his homestead, "Beaver Brook," where he had 
resided during the greater part of his career, Au- 
gust 5, 1816. He had married Rachel Insley, and 
left the following-named children to mourn his 
loss: Samuel, Mary, William, John I., Robert, 
Catherine, D. Bartley, Elizabeth and Jacob M. 

John I. Blair was reared upon a farm, and re- 
ceived but limited advantages in the way of an 
education in his boyhood, as he attended the dis- 
trict schools, then of a poor description, and even 
then, merely during the winter terms prior to his 
twelfth year. He obtained his initial experience 
in the business world at this time in the store of 
his cousin, Judge Blair, of Hope, N. J., with 



120 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



whom he remained three years. The death of 
his father then necessitated his return to the old 
homestead, in order that his widowed mother 
might be relieved of some of the responsibility 
pertaining to the management of the place. A 
little later, however, he was enabled to return to 
the mercantile career which he had marked out 
in his ambitious youthful dreams. His employ- 
ment this time was found in the establishment of 
Squire DeWitt, to whose direction and kindly in- 
terest he attributes his successful start in life. 

In 1819 our subject located in Blairstown, N. 
J. (then known as Gravel Hill, but since re- 
named in his honor), and for the following forty 
years he was engaged in merchandising, his field 
of operations being constantly enlarged, until he 
was the owner of five flourishing stores within a 
radius of fifteen miles. As his wealth increased 
he invested extensively in various industries, 
flouring mills, factories in which cotton goods 
were made, etc. , etc. At length he gave much 
of his attention to the wholesale trade, and was 
gradually drawn into relations with some of the 
largest and most important enterprises of the 
country. His acquaintance with the Scrantons 
began in 1833, when he assisted them in leasing 
the mines at Oxford Furnace, N. J., which mines 
had been operated before the Revolutionary war. 
In 1846 the Scrantons removed to the town now 
known as Scranton (Pa.), and in October of that 
year was organized the Lackawanna Coal and 
Iron Company, with Mr. Blair as proprietor of 
one of the mills. In this enterprise he became 
associated with such men as William E. Dodge, 
Anson G. Phelps, Moses Taylor, Roswell 
Sprague, L. L. Sturges, Dater & Miller and 
George Buckley. The success which the com- 
pany above mentioned attained is so generally 
known that no special record of the fact is neces- 
sary. In 1S49 they bought and rebuilt the rail- 
road between Ovvego and Ithaca, N. Y., and in 
1850-51 they secured an outlet for their coal and 
iron by constructing a line from Scranton to 
Great Bend, it then being termed the Leggett's 
Gap Railroad. 

A plan formulated by Mr. Blair and Colonel 



Scranton in 1852 proposed the separation of the 
western division of their road, Leggett's Gap, 
from the Iron Company proper, it to be consoli- 
dated with a new company, not yet organized, 
and the line extended to the Delaware River. 
The latter, spoken of as Cobb's Gap Railroad, 
was renamed, acting upon the suggestion of Mr. 
Blair, who proposed the appropriate title of the 
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. He pro- 
cured the right of way for the road and the 
entire line, including the Warren branch, with 
its Delaware River Bridge, the Vass Gap Tunnel 
and a temporary track through Vanness Gap. 
This road, opened for business May 16, 1856, 
now comprises a system of some seven hundred 
miles in length, reaching from New York to 
Lake Ontario; branching in even- direction; 
transporting many millions of tons of coal annu- 
ally and having cost over $100,000,000. 

The organization and construction of the 
Warren Railroad, in 1853, evinced the great bus- 
iness capacity and tact of Mr. Blair. Books of 
subscription were opened by the commissioners; 
the requisite amount of stock subscribed for; di- 
rectors and officers chosen; the survey of the 
route adopted, and the president authorized to 
file it in the office of the secretary of state; full 
power delegated to the president to construct the 
road and to make contracts or leases for connect- 
ing with other roads; and the right of wa}' 
through important gaps secured; all within the 
space of two hours. Mr. Blair was chosen presi- 
dent, and the next day but one found him in 
Trenton filing his survey, about one hour in ad- 
vance of the agents of the Morris & Essex Rail- 
road. One day later the engineers and repre- 
sentatives of the latter arrived in Trenton on the 
same errand as he had been bent upon, 011I3' to 
find that all of the passes and gaps below the 
Water Gap had already been secured by their 
vigilant competitor; whereupon the}' made a 
move to obtain all of the crossings above the 
Water Gap, on the New Jersey side, paying ex- 
orbitant sums for right of way through farms, 
etc., and planning to span the river at two 
points. Their scheme was defeated, however, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



121 



by their successful rival, which caused the Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna & Western to be constructed 
through the gap on the Pennsylvania side, cross- 
ing the river several miles below their high- 
priced passes and crossings. A contest in the 
courts and legislature of New Jersey resulted in 
the sustaining of the Warren Railroad. 

While the above facts evince the growing 
power of Mr. Blair in the way of surmounting 
difficulties, even as the iron horse climbs and 
passes over the Pocono Mountains on his way to 
the coal fields of Pennsylvania, yet it is toward 
the close of the war of the Rebellion that we see 
the sphere of his action rapidly enlarging. Go- 
ing to the fertile prairies of Iowa, Nebraska and 
the Dakotas he constructed long lines of rail- 
roads, thus opening up and developing vast re- 
gions. The first railroad laid through the state 
of Iowa, connecting with the Union Pacific at 
Omaha, was built by Mr. Blair. He employed 
upwards of ten thousand men for eight months 
in carrying out this gigantic labor, tracks being 
laid at the rate of a mile a day ofttimes, and 
sometimes a stretch of fifty miles being con- 
structed without a house within sight along the 
way. Our subject was the ruling spirit in all 
these great enterprises; the confidence which he 
possessed among the eastern capitalists was un- 
bounded, and never did he seek in vain for the 
means with which to push forward his work. 
He knew no such word as fail, and whenever he 
desired subscriptions of capital the only trouble 
was in limiting the amount ready to be subscribed. 
In his western railroad-building enterprises, Mr. 
Blair followed the forty-first degree of latitude, 
wherever practicable, as he had learned that this 
is the wheat and corn belt. The roads thus con- 
structed by him, with their branches, now form 
the system of the Chicago & Northwestern, tap- 
ping one of the most productive and rich farm- 
lands in the United States. 

Among the numerous railroads of the countr}' 
with which Mr. Blair has been connected, often 
as one of the leading organizers and original di- 
rectors, are the following: the Lackawanna & 
Bloomsburg; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; 



Union Pacific; Chicago & Northwestern; Oregon 
Pacific; Chicago & Pacific; Chicago, Iowa & 
Dakota; Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern; 
Sioux City & Yankton; Sioux Falls & Dakota; 
St. Louis & Hannibal; Cedar Rapids & Missouri 
River; Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul; Green Bay 
& Stevens Point; Sioux City & Pacific; Iowa Falls 
& Sioux City; Cayuga & Susquehanna; Bangor 
& Portland; New York, Susquehanna & West- 
ern; the Warren Railroad; the Sussex Railroad; 
the Maple River Railroad; the Mount Hope Rail- 
road and the Blairstown road, which last was 
built by him alone in 1876-77 for the convenience 
of the town in which he has made his home. Mr. 
Blair has been the president of the Belvidere 
National Bank for over sixty years, or almost its 
entire existence, and has been largely interested 
in several coal and zinc companies, such as the 
Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company; the Pitts- 
burgh and Wheeling Coal Company, etc. 

The influence of a man of broad and humani- 
tarian ideas, such as have always predominated 
in the case of John I. Blair, is utterly beyond 
estimation. He has been very liberal toward 
churches and educational institutions; he has 
founded professorships in Princeton College and 
many others, and in 1897 completed a dormitory 
at the cost of $150,000 in the college mentioned. 
He erected and donated to the Presbytery of 
Newton, N. J., one of the best preparatory schools 
in the United States. This Blairstown Seminary 
was later endowed by him with an additional 
$150,000. More than eighty towns in the west 
were laid out by him, or through his instru- 
mentality, and fully one hundred churches were 
built and fostered by his influence and gener- 
osity. Along the lines of the railroads which he 
laid out in the western states, numerous colleges 
and schools sprang up, and to many of these he 
has given substantial support. He is a strong 
Presbyterian in religious belief, and among his 
ancestors were many clergymen and noted educa- 
tors. 

One of the organizers of the Republican part}', 
Mr. Blair has been an ardent supporter of its 
principles. During the. war he was among the 



122 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



foremost men who held up the hands of the chief 
executive, and even in the darkest hours of our 
national crisis he freely loaned large sums of 
money to the administration. He firmly be- 
lieved that the policy of protection for American 
industries would develop our resources and 
wealth as a country and that under the system 
the highest rates of wages for the workingman 
could be paid, and the history of the past thirty 
years has fully justified his theory. In 1868 Mr. 
Blair was persuaded by his friends to run for the 
governorship of New Jersey. He was not 
elected, and with this exception, he has never 
been a candidate for any public office. As long 
as his strength permitted, he attended every con- 
vention of the Republican party as a delegate, 
and in numerous ways has manifested his pa- 
triotism. 

In 1826 Mr. Blair married Nancy Locke, 
whose grandfather, Captain Locke, a soldier in 
the American Revolution, was killed in a skir- 
mish at Springfield, N. J. Mrs. Blair died in 
1888, and of their four children but one, DeWitt 
Clinton, survives. Marcus L- was the eldest 
born; Emma L- was the wife of Charles Scribner, 
the New York publisher; and Aurelia was the 
wife of Clarence G. Mitchell, a lawyer. 

Endowed with a magnificent constitution, 
which he has not enfeebled with tobacco or stim- 
ulants, Mr. Blair is still sound in body and mind, 
though in his ninety-seventh year. Though he 
has relegated to others the active cares of his vast 
enterprises he receives daily accounts of them, 
and passes his opinion upon the merits of all mat- 
ters coming beneath his notice. His wealth has 
been variously estimated from twenty to sixty 
million dollars. 



AMBERT T. WARMAN, a prosperous and 
I C progressive agriculturist, residing one mile 
\_^J north of Stockton, Delaware Township, 
Hunterdon County, has been a life-long resident 



of this immediate vicinity and has been actively 
interested and concerned in the upbuilding and 
development of the same. He carries on general 
farming and dairying upon his fine homestead of 
one hundred and thirty-two acres, and takes great 
pride in keeping everything about his place in a 
neat and thrifty manner. His right of franchise 
he uses in behalf of the candidates and platform 
of the Democratic party, and though he is nat- 
urally desirous to see his own principles triumph, 
he is not a politician in the ordinary acceptation 
of the term; nor is he an office-seeker, as the 
only position of a public character that he has ever 
been induced to hold was that of township com- 
mitteeman, a minor place of merely local import- 
ance. As a business man he is to be relied upon 
to the letter, as he strives to be entirely reliable, 
punctual in meeting all obligations and faithful 
to all duties imposed upon him. 

The youngest in a family of seven children, 
three sons and four daughters, Lambert T. War- 
man was born on a farm adjoining the one where 
he now lives April 24, 1834. His parents were 
Jacob and Sarah (Bodine) Warman, natives of 
Kiugwood and Delaware Township, respectively. 
The father was a well-to-do farmer, and was a 
man who was universally esteemed as a citizen, 
neighbor, friend, and in the relations of the 
home circle was especially kind, generous and 
worthy of admiration. He died in 1854, regret- 
ted by all who had known him. His two eldest 
children, Hester and Elizabeth, and Asher, the 
fifth of the family, are deceased. Sybila lives on 
a farm in this township, as does also her sister, 
Sarah C. ; William S., the eldest son, is an 
energetic farmer and business man of the vicinity 
ofOakdale, N. J. 

When he was a lad of about eight years our 
subject removed to the farm now owned by him, 
his father having bought the place, which he 
proceeded to improve and cultivate up to the time 
of his death. Lambert T. received his education 
in the public schools of this district, and has 
added thereto much wisdom gained in the more 
practical school of life and experience. From an 
early age he worked with his father on the farm, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and by the time he was nineteen, the year that 
his father died, he was fully qualified to under- 
take the entire management of the homestead. 
Since then he has carried on this farm and has 
made many valuable improvements. 

October 31, 1862, Mr. Warman married Mary 
Ellen Craven, a native of Bucks County, Pa. 
They have three children: S. Anna and Emma 
Cornell, who are at home; and William S., whose 
residence is in the town of Stockton, near here, 
and who is engaged in the coal and wood busi- 
ness. The Warman family is identified with the 
Presbyterian Church of Stockton. 



GlNTHONY KIIXGORE has for the past 
/ I four years been the editor and manager of 
J 1 the Hunterdon County Democrat, a repre- 
sentative journal of the state of New Jersey, and 
one that has been longer in existence than any 
published in this county. With a large class of 
our best citizens it occupies a place that no other 
paper could fill, and, as it aims to give the latest 
and best account of current events transpiring in 
the busy world, as well as a thorough resume of 
local affairs and things pertaining to the interests 
of this particular region, it deserves the support 
of the public. 

A native of this county, Anthony Killgore was 
born near Annandale, Jul}' 13, 1856. When he 
was an infant his parents removed to Flemington, 
and here the boy grew to manhood. He received 
his preliminary education in the public schools 
here, and later was a student in the classical and 
commercial high school of Lawrenceville, N. J. 
At the age of nineteen years he took up the study 
of pharmacy, and subsequently opened drug 
stores at Plainfield and Flemington. When 
about twenty-five he abandoned the retail drug 
trade, and for six years traveled for wholesale 
drug houses of New York City. The last three 
years of this period he was in the employ of the 
celebrated firm of Seabury & Johnson, of New 



York, London and Hamburg. In 1888 he con- 
nected himself with the interests of the wealthy saw 
manufacturer, William Disston, of Philadelphia, 
and established the Pleasant Valley Stock Farm 
in Woodstown, N. J. 

The following year Mr. Killgore was sent to 
California by Robert Steele, of Philadelphia, to 
purchase a stallion for his Cedar Park farm near 
that city. In furtherance of his patron's wish, 
he bought the celebrated " Woodnut," 2.i6j4, 
paying $20,000 for him. In 1891 Mr. Killgore 
left Woodstown, and, buying a piece of property 
in the vicinity of Flemington, made numerous 
changes and improvements upon the place, which 
is now known as Meadow Park farm. From 
here he has sold a great many highbred trotting 
horses, shipping them to distant parts of the 
United States and to Canada and Germany. For 
years the proprietor has been greatly interested 
in fine horses, and has been esteemed an author- 
ity on the subject, his articles being eagerly 
sought for by the leading journals of the turf. 
July 1, 1894, he assumed the management of the 
Democrat, owned by his father, and has since de- 
voted considerable of his time and attention to 
this enterprise. 

May 1 6, 1877, Mr. Killgore married Louise E. 
Dunham, whose father was the late C. C. Dun- 
ham, of Flemington. They have one child, Jen- 
nie Dunham. 

Robert J. Killgore, father of the gentleman 
whose name heads this article, was born February 
29, 1820, near Germantown, Mason County, Ky. 
His parents were Charles and Lucy (Ficklin) 
Killgore. On the 3d of January, 1843, he mar- 
ried Alice, daughter of Aaron Van Syckel, of 
Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, N. J. 
Taking his wife to Kentucky, he resided there 
until October, 1S45, when he returned to Bethle- 
hem Township, and for eight years was occupied 
in managing a homestead near the Bethlehem 
Baptist Church. He then purchased another 
tract of land adjacent to Annandale, and three 
years later removed to a farm in Raritau Town- 
ship, where he dwelt for some years. About 
1S70 he removed to Flemington, where he still 



124 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



resides. For many years he has held various 
local offices, and in 1869 was elected surrogate, 
and held the same until 1874. October 1, 1875, 
he became the owner of the Democrat, buying the 
paper from the heirs of Charles Tomlinson, and 
personally superintended the same until 1895, 
when he placed it in the hands of his son. Of 
his ten children six are now living, Mary V., 
Alice, Robert, Charles, Lora and Anthony. 



~. ' 0>l^(||§§®(4<) 1- 



FORGE M. DAWES, well known as a real- 
I— estate owner and retired business man of 
\Ji Washington, was born in Mount Pleasant, 
Hunterdon County, N. J., in October, 1S51, be- 
ing a son of William and Mary Ann (Queen) 
Dawes, natives respectively of Newark, N. J., 
and Hunterdon County. His father, who is one 
of the most prominent citizens of Washington, 
was for many years proprietor of one of the lead- 
ing hotels here, but is now living retired from 
business. During the first administration of 
President Cleveland he was appointed associate 
judge of Warren County, which office he filled 
with efficiency. He is a colonel in the state 
militia and fraternally is a prominent Mason. In 
his family there are two sons and two daughters. 
Jennie is the wife of A. J. Hankius, a farmer re- 
siding in Hamburg, Mich. ; Althea T. married 
William W. Hunt, who is employed in the cus- 
tom house of Jersey City; and Theodore B. is the 
postmaster at Washington. 

The education of our subject was obtained in 
the public schools of Belvidere. At the age of 
twenty-one he associated himself with his father 
in the hotel business, and this connection contin- 
ued for a number of years. Under the first ad- 
ministration of President Cleveland he was ap- 
pointed postmaster at Washington, which office 
he heid for four years. This is the only public 
position he has held, as he has never been an of- 
fice seeker. For more than twelve years he was 
collector for the New York Life Insurance Com- 



pany, and owns the building formerly the prop- 
erty of this company, it being a large, three-story 
brick structure, situated on the corner of Wash- 
ington and Belvidere avenues, the finest corner 
in the place. He also owns the postoffice build- 
ing; his residence at No. 123 Washington avenue, 
which was the old Vliet homestead for many 
years, is the property of Mrs. Dawes. 

In 1891 Mr. Dawes married Miss Anna C. Vliet, 
daughter of Judge Joseph Vliet, one of the most 
prominent attorneys and judges of this county for 
years, a man who was highly respected for his 
just dealings with all and his unswerving integ- 
rity. A Democrat in politics, he was prominent 
in his part}'. During his service of more than 
twenty years as judge he tried twenty cases of 
homicide. At the time of his death, in 1879, he 
held the office of judge. He was attorney for the 
First National Bank from the time of its organ- 
ization, and was also attorney for the Morris & 
Essex Railroad Company, and prosecuting attor- 
ney for twenty years. In religious belief he was 
connected with the First Presbyterian Church. 
By his marriage to Christiana, daughter of Jacob 
Creveling, he had a son and daughter, Daniel 
and Anna C. The former was a man of promi- 
nence, and his death, in 1897, was widely 
mourned. Concerning him we quote the follow- 
ing from the Washington Tidings: 

" Death has again claimed as a victim one of 
Washington's most prominent citizens, in the 
person of Daniel Vliet, who passed away at the 
home of his sister, Mrs. George M. Dawes, Mon- 
day evening, at eleven o'clock. He had been 
confined to his bed only two weeks, suffering un- 
told agonies from contraction of the nerves, so 
that death came as a . welcome relief. His pa- 
tience and suffering during his last days were 
wonderful. Born in 1845, he was fifty-two years 
of age at death. He was admitted to the bar as 
attorney in 1879 and always practiced his profes- 
sion here. Among his legal brethren he was re- 
spected for his ability, sterling integrity and hon- 
esty. He was a worthy descendant of his grand- 
father, Major-General Garrett Vliet, of the old 
New Jersey militia, and his father, Judge Joseph 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



125 



Vliet, who was four times appointed prosecutor 
of the pleas of Warren County, and finally ele- 
vated to the bench, in which position he died Jan- 
uary 7, 1879. 

" Attorney Vliet's practice was confined prin- 
cipally to his office work and acting as trustee 
for many large estates. He possessed the entire 
confidence of his clients. Besides holding various 
positions of trust at the time of his death, he was 
a director in the First National Bank of Wash- 
ington, and attorney for the same; secretary and 
a director of the water company; secretary of the 
cemetery association, and was also formerly sec- 
retary of the Washington Building and Loan As- 
sociation. In character he was modest and unas- 
suming. He always labored under the disadvant- 
age of having a delicate constitution. He made 
his home with his sister, Mrs. George M. Dawes, 
their relations as brother and sister being ideal in 
the wealth of affection they bestowed on each 
other. He was a faithful attendant and member 
of the Presbyterian Church. Such men can illy 
be spared from the community." 



EL-ARK PIERSON is the editor and proprietor 
of the Lambertville Record. In October 
1897, this well-known exponent of Repub- 
lican party principles celebrated its quarter of a 
century anniversary. During this period the 
paper grew from a small sheet, run on a hand- 
press, to its present dimensions, and in equal pro- 
portions rose in the estimation of the reading 
public. The subject of this review has been 
solely responsible for these changes, and great 
credit is due him for the efforts he has made to 
elevate the journal to a position of influence in the 
community. The immense power of the press 
cannot be over-estimated, and, as many believe, 
it transcends even that of the pulpit. Perhaps 
slowly, but just as surely, the minds of the people 
are reached and influenced by the journals they 
read, and none but the best should be allowed to 



enter our homes. Especially is this an imperative 
duty owed by parents to their children, whose 
minds, being in a formative condition, are quick 
to absorb errors as well as truth, and are unable 
to separate the wheat from the chaff, as their 
elders are more apt to do. 

The Piersous of this locality trace their lineage 
back to Abraham Pierson, the first president of 
Yale College. Two Presbyterian ministers, de- 
scendants of this common ancestor, settled in New- 
ark, N. J. , and from there went to Morris County, 
where their families were reared. The great- 
grandfather of our subject enlisted in the war of 
the Revolution, and at one time, when his com- 
mand were greatly in need of more men, he re- 
turned home, obtained a musket, and taking his 
fourteen year old son with him, participated in 
the battle of Stony Point. In Morris County the 
father of our subject, Lewis Pierson, was born. 
He became an inhabitant of Lambertville when it 
was a small place, and started the first tinware 
store here. He married Elizabeth Clark, of 
Newark, and to them four children were born. 
One of the number died in infancy. George is in 
the employ of the Delaware & Raritan Canal 
Company. JaneS. married Henry H. Gallagher, 
of Lambertville. 

Clark Pierson was born in July, 1836, in Lam- 
bertville, and had but limited advantages for ob- 
taining an education, as he was but eleven years 
old when he began learning the trade of printing. 
Then for two 3'ears he was in the office of the su- 
perintendent of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad, 
of Lambertville. When but twenty-one he be- 
came the publisher of the Beacon, a paper 
which he edited and conducted with fair success 
for ten years, gaining in the meanwhile thorough 
and practical knowledge of all kinds of work 
coming under the head of journalism. Selling 
out his interest in the paper in 1869 he invested 
his means in a spoke manufactory, and was con- 
nected with that industry for about two years. 
His talents were manifestly along the line of jour- 
nalism, however, and in 1872 he established the 
Record, which he has since devoted himself to 
managing. It is an able exponent of the best 



126 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



interests of the general public hereabout, and gives 
a review of the local events, together with a sum- 
mary of the great concerns of the busy outside 
world. In his personal politics Mr. Pierson is a 
Republican of no uncertain kind. In his twenty- 
second year he was elected superintendent of the 
city schools, in 1878 was appointed postmaster,, 
which position he held to the satisfaction of all 
concerned. He is a member of Am well Lodge 
No. 12, F. & A. M., of which he is worship- 
ful master; and is past commander of St. Elmo 
Commandery No. 14, K. T. A trusted member 
of the Baptist Church, he has been president of 
the board for several years and was a trustee for 
thirty years. 

In 1865 Mr. Pierson married Amanda C. 
Bodine, of Mt. Holly, N. J., but she died about 
ten years later. In 1877 he married Lida, 
daughter of J. Benner Evans, of Chester County, 
Pa. He has two children, Jessie E. and Grace. 



EWIS C. BEATTY, a prominent business 
|C man of Hope, Warren County, comes from 
I J one of the respected old families of the county. 
Here the happy days of his youth were passed, 
and here, after he has spent many of the years of 
his prime in the busy outside world, he has re- 
turned to quietly pass the remainder of his life. 
He is unassuming in manner and not ambitious 
for official distinction, preferring to attend strictly 
to his own affairs, though not to the neglect of his 
duties as a citizen. 

The father of our subject was the late Judge 
George H. Beatty, who was born near this village 
in 181 2. His whole life was spent in Warren 
County and for several years he was the proprie- 
tor of what is now the Union Inn in Hope. Later 
he settled on a farm adjacent to the town, and in 
addition to cultivating the place he dealt to some 
extent in cattle and livestock. He had made his 
start in a financial way, in his younger days, by 
his dealing in western livestock. In his political 



faith he was a strong Democrat, and his first step 
over the threshold of public life was during the 
'40s, when his friends and neighbors elected him 
to represent them in the state assembly. He 
served them for one term and in 1879 he was 
elected state senator for a term of three years. 
About 1882 he was honored by being elected 
judge of the Warren County courts, and, in short, 
he was distinctively a leader in the ranks of his 
party and in his time. He lived to the ripe age 
of eighty-two years, dying in .1894. His father, 
whose Christian name was also George, was like- 
wise a native of this count}'. Judge G. H. Beatty 
married a daughter of Charles Swasey, and of their 
six children, four are still living, viz.: Josephine; 
Marcella, wife of Joseph E- Kirk; George W., of 
Pennsylvania; and Lewis C. The mother died at 
the age of eighty-one years. 

The birth of Lewis C. Beatty took place Novem- 
ber 27, 185 1, in the town of Hope, and here, with 
his brothers and sisters, he grew to maturity, his 
education being gained in the public schools. He 
made several trips to the west, buying stock, and 
being associated with his father in that business 
for a few years in his early manhood. When he 
was Hearing his majority he graduated from 
Kingston Business College, where he had pursued 
a practical commercial course. Afterward he ob- 
tained a position in the office of the auditor of the 
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company in Pittsburg, 
and kept that position as long as he cared to do 
so, some three years. In 1S83 he was appointed 
deputy in the state prison in Trenton, N. J., and 
was an official in that institution for eleven 
years, faithfully meeting all the requirements of 
the place, and giving entire satisfaction to his 
superiors. In 1S94 he returned to this, his old 
home, and opened a general store in partnership 
with Jacob Albert, the style of the firm being 
Beatty & Albert. They keep a full line of sup- 
plies commonly found in an establishment of this 
kind, and have built up a good patronage among 
the people of this vicinity by their fair dealing. 
Mr. Beatty uses his ballot on behalf of the nom- 
inees of the Democracy, but is not a politician in 
the ordinary sense. He owns a good farm near 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



127 



this town and is the executor of his father's estate. 
His family were Episcopalians, but he is not 
identified with the church. 



NON. ELIASJ. MACKEY, sheriff of Warren 
County, is a resident of Belvidere and. is 
well and favorably known in this portion of 
the state. His ancestors have dwelt in Oxford 
Township, this county, for more than a century, 
and have invariably led lives of quiet usefulness 
and industry. An uncle of his, Jeremiah Mackey, 
represented this section in the New Jersey senate 
when the county was first organized. John 
Mackey, father of our subject, followed farming 
during his entire life, and was very liberal in his 
support of worthy public enterprises. Among 
other things which were of benefit to his com- 
munity and were fostered by his influence, 
material or otherwise, was the old Oxford Church, 
which was founded by him and largely main- 
tained by his means thereafter. He died in 1864, 
and was survived by his faithful helpmate, whose 
maiden name had been Mercy Pritt, thirty-one 
years. She was ninety-two years of age when 
death claimed her, in 1893. Four of her six 
children are living at this writing. Marshall P. 
is a farmer of this vicinity, and William is a 
member of the legal profession in Belvidere, 
while Elizabeth, also a resident of this place, is 
the widow of William Armstrong. 

The birth of Elias J. Mackey occurred in 
Oxford Township July 12, 1842. Until he was 
about eighteen years old he attended the district 
schools or those of Belvidere during the winter 
season, and worked on the old homestead the re- 
mainder of the year. After leaving school he de- 
voted all his time and energies to the management 
of a farm for several years. In 1875 he was 
elected to the general assembty of the state on the 
Democratic ticket, and served most acceptably to all 
concerned for three years. He has frequently held 
township offices, has taken great interest in poli- 



tics, and has often attended conventions in the 
capacity of a delegate. He owns two good farms 
in this county, in addition to which he has some 
Florida property. He is a member of the Masonic 
order, is connected with the Odd Fellows, the Red 
Men, and is a Knight of Pythias. He was elected 
sheriff in the fall of 1896, his term to extend for 
three years. 

April 17, 1862, Mr. Mackey married Sarah E. 
Hoff, daughter of John H. Hoff, and grand- 
daughter of Thomas Lomason. Of the eleven 
children born to them eight are yet living, viz.: 
Laura, wife of Philip Miller, of this county; 
Addie M., wife of George E. Merritt, of Phillips- 
burg; John H., of Washington, this county; 
William A., who married Hattie M. Good; Fran- 
ces M., wife' of John R. Good, of Philadelphia; 
Carolene, Winfield S. and Mertie P., the three 
youngest at home. 



Gl MOS THATCHER is an enterprising, prac- 
l\ tical agriculturist of Raritan Township, Hun- 
I I terdon County, and from his earliest recol- 
lections has been closely associated with the 
history of this region. His forefathers also 
were farmers of this township, and assisted ma- 
terially in the development of its advancing civil- 
ization. He was named in honor of his paternal 
grandfather, Amos, whose entire life was passed 
in this immediate locality. 

Born November 27, 1842, in Raritan Township, 
our subject is a son of Robert and Margaret 
(Trout) Thatcher, both natives of this township. 
In his youth he was a pupil in the district schools 
of his home neighborhood, later attended East- 
man's Business College in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. , 
and since then he has constantly added to his 
fund of knowledge by reading and observation. 
Until he was about nineteen he lived at home 
upon the old farm, and then was for three years 
in the hotel business with his father. Later he 
was concerned in running a store in partnership 



128 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



with the senior Thatcher for a similar period of 
time. Removing to a farm, he next was occupied 
in agricultural pursuits for three years more, and 
finally purchased a homestead situated just out- 
side the corporation limits of Flemington. 

It was in 1869 that he bought the fine farm 
where he has since made his home. Altogether 
he owns at this time two hundred acres of im- 
proved laud, from which abundant harvests are 
garnered each year, yielding a golden reward to 
the fortunate possessor of the property. On the 
place is a splendid orchard of twenty acres, from 
which has been gathered some years as high as 
thirty-five hundred bushels of luscious peaches. 
This product finds a ready sale at good prices in 
the neighboring large cities and towns and from 
this source alone Mr. Thatcher has made a fort- 
une. In politics he is a Democrat, and supports 
by his ballot the platforms and candidates of that 
part}'. He was elected freeholder March 12, 
1896, for a term of three years. 

In 1869 the marriage of Mr. Thatcher and 
Isabella Capner was solemnized. They have 
had seven children, named as follows: Maggie, 
Robert, John C, Louise, Hugh N., Amos and 
Katie. Two of the number, Maggie and Louise, 
have been summoned to the better land. The 
family is highly respected in this community, and 
the young people are bright, ambitious and well 
educated. 



h~}~ — i>m§&$*<»- — m — 



Cp\ SA SUYDAM is one of the old and respected 
l\ citizens of Raritan Township, Hunterdon 
/ • I County, and for several generations his an- 
cestors have been occupied in cultivating and im- 
proving land in this region. Originally natives 
of Holland, they possessed the notable character- 
istics of that people, honesty and uprightness and 
fairness in all their dealings with their fellows, 
and industry and diligence in their own business 
affairs. Thus the Suydams are justly entitled to 
a high place in the annals of this county, for they 



assisted materially in establishing it upon a sound 
basis of good citizenship and were no small factors 
in the development of its natural resources. 

The great-grandfather of our subject was the 
first one of the family to settle permanently in 
Hunterdon County, as far as known, and here his 
son John, the next in the direct line of descent, was 
born and reared to mature years. Henrj^, father 
of Asa Suydam, was likewise a native of this 
county, and throughout life was a farmer in his 
immediate locality. He married Miss Hannah 
Stires, of this county, and three sons were born to 
them, viz.: Daniel, Asa and John T. The last- 
mentioned died when but three years old. The 
parents of these children were earnest Christians, 
striving day by day to do their whole duty toward 
God and man, and by their own example to guide 
and inspire their sons in right ways of conduct. 
The father's busy and useful life was brought to 
a close when he was in his sixty-fourth year. 
His widow died in 1S73. 

The birth of Asa Suydam took place in Raritan 
Township, June 3, 1825. On the old homestead 
he gained practical knowledge of all kinds of agri- 
cultural duties, and was therefore ably qualified 
to take entire charge of a farm when he was of 
mature age. He remained at home until he was 
about twenty-three, when he started out in his 
independent career. At this time he was married 
to Catherine Higgins, and for three years lived 
with his father-in-law, aiding in the cultivation of 
his place. Later he returned to the home of his 
fathers, eventually purchasing the land in 1855. 
This farm then comprised a quarter-section, or one 
hundred and sixty acres, and to the original tract 
the owner has since added another eighteen acre 
lot. In 1858 he set out a peach orchard, and has 
nearly fifty acres planted with peach and apple 
trees. He takes pride in keeping everything 
about his farm in a thrifty manner, and the place 
is justly considered one of the most valuable in 
the township. 

Mr. Suydam was first married, as previously 
stated, in 184S, to Miss Higgins, and five children 
were born to their union, viz.: Hannah, Annie 
M., Henry, Ella R. and Catherine. The mother 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



129 



died in 1S66 and about two years afterwards our 
subject married Mrs. Rachel Reid, a sister of his 
first wife. 

In his political convictions Mr. Suydam is a 
Republican. He has never been an aspirant for 
official positions, as he prefers to devote his time 
and energies to his own business affairs and to his 
church. For years he has been a very active 
worker in the Baptist Church of this township, 
and been • a deacon in the same some forty-five 
years and clerk of the official board for twoscore 
years. 



m 



(ILLIAM O'NIEL is a member of the firm 
of Simersou & O'Niel, editors and pro- 
prietors of the Warren Journal, pub- 
lished in Belvidere. He is a very progressive, 
up-to-date business man, and by his energy and 
wide-awake plans has succeeded in accomplishing 
much in the promotion of industries that have ac- 
crued to the lasting benefit of this community. 
He takes deep interest in everything which has 
as its object the welfare of the public, and his 
influence can always be safely relied upon on be- 
half of every good cause. He stands high in the 
ranks of the Democratic party, and has often 
been sent as a delegate to its conventions. When 
he had scarcely passed his majority he was 
made town clerk, after which he acted in the 
capacity of tax-collector for several years. From 
1884 to 1894 he served as county surrogate, 
contrary to the received custom in this county 
being re-elected to the same office. 

The parents of the above-named gentleman 
were Michael and Hannah (Ronan) O'Niel, 
natives of Ireland. The father came to America 
in 1837, taking up his permanent abode in 
Belvidere. He reached the extreme age of ninety- 
four years, his death occurring in September, 
1897. He had married before leaving his old 
home, and to himself and wife were born nine 
children. The aged mother is still living. 

William O'Niel was born in this town Septem- 



ber 27, 1852, and obtained his elementary education 
in the public schools of the place. When he was 
but thirteen years of age he started out to earn 
his own livelihood, entering the employ of the 
Belvidere Delaware Railroad Company. He 
served in all kinds of capacities, gradually being 
promoted until attaining the position of station 
agent. He abandoned railroading when he un- 
fortunately lost a leg, as the result of an accident. 
He is now one of the largest stockholders and a 
director in the Belvidere Water Works Company 
and was one of the organizers of the Warren 
Wood- working Company, one of the best indus- 
tries of this place. At present he is a director 
and manager of the concern. In the spring of 
1 89 1 he bought an interest in the Warren 
Journal. This paper was then owned by John 
M. Simerson, whose father and grandfather before 
him had published the journal, long an influential 
dispenser of the news to the people of this 
county. 

In October, 1882, Mr. O'Niel married Agnes 
E. Warner, daughter of the late Lyman Warner, 
an old Connecticut family, but at the time re- 
sidents of Belvidere, where he manufactured 
the Warner carriage wheel. They have three 
children, a son and two daughters, named in the 
order of their birth, Chester W., Helen H. and 
Bessie Richmond. 



ON. CHARLES B. SMITH, M. D., one of 
the leading physicians of Washington and 
twice mayor of the city, was born in Beth- 
lehem, Hunterdon Count}', in 1867, and is the 
only son of Alfred G. and Elizabeth (Cornish) 
Smith. His father, who was a native of Warren 
County, this state, during his early life operated 
a mill, but failing health forced him to retire from 
the business and seek emplo}mient of a different 
nature. He then purchased a farm, the super- 
vision of which he still continues, having accu- 
mulated a comfortable fortune from the same. His 



13° 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



home is near Asbury. Politically he is a Demo- 
crat, but has never held, nor desires to hold, 
public office of any kind. His father, Jacob 
Smith, was a well-to-do farmer of Hunterdon 
Count}'. 

The maternal grandfather of our subject was 
Joseph Cornish, a large and prosperous merchant 
of Bethlehem, whose son, Joseph B. Cornish, is 
the well-known manufacturer of organs and 
pianos. The only child of his parents, our sub- 
ject was given ever}' advantage that the schools 
of the county afforded, attending both the gram- 
mar and high schools of Washington. His early 
boyhood years were passed on his father's farm 
near Bethlehem, and after fourteen years of age he 
lived near Washington. He had a natural taste for 
medicine and deciding to choose it as his profession 
he began to study under a competent instructor. 
For two years he carried on his readings, mean- 
time also teaching school. He then entered the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Baltimore, 
from which after a three years' course he gradu- 
ated with high honors in 1891. 

Since graduating Dr. Smith has engaged in 
practice in Washington, where he has gained a 
reputation as a reliable and skillful physician. 
His services are in demand, day and night, and 
his practice extends into the surrounding country. 
In 1891 he married Miss Mary S., daughter of 
Robert K. Richey, a retired merchant of Asbury. 
They are the parents of one child, a daughter. 
In 1893 the doctor erected a residence on West 
Washington avenue, and in this house, which is 
one of the most elegant in the town, he now 
makes his home. 

The connection of Dr. Smith with civil affairs 
reflects credit upon his ability and proves his in- 
terest in the progress of his town, Dike all the 
members of the family as far back as the record 
extends, he is a stanch adherent of Democratic 
principles. In 1895 he was elected mayor of 
Washington and in that position gave such uni- 
versal satisfaction that the following year he was 
re-elected by almost the entire vote of the place. 
Fraternally he is connected with Mansfield Dodge 
No. 36, F. & A. M., the Senior Order American 



Mechanics, Royal Arcanum and Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. He is a firm friend of the 
public schools and has been a valued member of 
the board of education. The State Medical 
Society numbers him among its members, and 
other associations connected with his profession 
receive his sympathy and support. He is con- 
nected with the local branch of the State Building 
and Loan Association, an organization that has 
contributed materially to the improvement of 
Washington. With his wife, he holds member- 
ship in the Presbyterian Church and for six years 
or more he has been one of the trustees of the 
congregation. 



PETER G. SCHOMP, a well-known citizen of 
Readington Township, Hunterdon County, 
<3 comes from one of the old pioneer families of 
this region, his ancestors having settled here at a 
very early day in our colonial history. In fact, 
the annals of western New Jersey could not well 
and truthfully be written were the name of 
Schomp omitted from the records. The gentle- 
man of whom we write has been president of the 
Farmers' Mutual Assurance Association of New 
Jersey for the past eight years, having been annu- 
ally re- appointed to the office. Moreover, he was 
a director in the Citizens' Mutual Life Insurance 
Company of this state. A Democrat in his polit- 
ical standing, he has officiated as collector of this 
township, but has never sought or desired public 
positions. 

The father of our subject, Jacob G. Schomp, 
was a native of Readington Township, and was 
one of the oldest residents here at the time of his 
death, which occurred in October, 1S96, when 
eighty-nine years of age. In his youth he 
learned the carpenter's trade, and followed it to 
some extent in connection with farming, later 
giving his attention exclusively to the manage- 
ment of his property. When he was a young 
man he was considered to possess an excellent 




HON. DANIKL F. BKATTY. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



133 



education for the period, and taught school for a 
few terms. In politics a Democrat, he held local 
offices of a minor nature and was a freeholder of 
this township during one term. His wife, who 
bore the girlhood name of Eliza Van Fleet, died 
in 1885. They had but two children, Peter G. 
and John, the latter of whom died in 1896. 

Peter G. Schomp was born in Readington 
Township April 24, 1846, received a district- 
school education, and learned surveying, which 
business he has followed more or less for thirty 
years, formerly with Judge Joseph Thompson, 
now deceased. His main pursuit, however, has 
been farming, in which he has been very success- 
ful. In 1 87 1 he married Annie, daughter of 
Andrew and Keturah Suydam. The father was 
a respected resident of this township, but has been 
called to the better land. The union of Mr. and 
Mrs. Schomp has been blessed with one daughter, 
Vera, who is still at home. They are members 
of the Reformed Church, and he was for a number 
of years treasurer of the congregation; has served 
as elder and deacon in the same, and has often 
been sent as a delegate to the synod. He takes 
great interest in religious matters and is a liberal 
contributor to the finances of the denomination. 



HON. DANIEE FISHER BEATTY. The 
name of Beatty is a household word in 
many parts of the United States, but while 
all lovers of music have learned to admire the 
celebrated Beatty organs and pianos, compara- 
tively few are familiar with the history of their 
talented inventor and manufacturer. Daniel 
Fisher Beatty was born August 14, 1848, on the 
summit of Schooley's Mountain, near Beattys- 
towu, in Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, 
N. J., being a son of George W. and Elizabeth 
(Fisher) Beatty. His paternal grandfather, 
James Beatty, emigrated to America from the 
north of Ireland during the latter part of the 
eighteenth century, and settled in New Jersey, 



where he died at eighty-six years of age. One 
of his sons, John, was the father of Maj. Samuel 
Beatty, of Stark County, Ohio, who served with 
distinction in the Mexican war and in the late 
rebellion, rising from private to the rank of 
major-general of the army. 

Of a family of four daughters and six sons, 
Daniel Fisher Beatty was third among the sons. 
In early life he evinced not only a rare business 
capacity, but also a decided taste for music and 
for the rustic scenes in the mountains surround- 
ing his native home. In the reception room of 
the old homestead the visitor is shown the in- 
strument (an old-fashioned melodeon long since 
out of date) which first inspired the musical ge- 
nius of the boy, and on which he practiced his 
first lessons. His love for rural surroundings 
continues to the present and furnishes the rea- 
son for his remaining in his suburban location 
rather than following the precedent set by 
other large manufacturers, that of establishing 
headquarters amid the hum and bustle of a 
large city. 

From an early age it was clearly evident that 
Mr. Beatty had more taste for music than for 
agriculture. Instead of following the plow, he 
was accustomed to take his music book and 
sally forth to the field, where he would soon be 
immersed in the mysteries of the art; or, seated 
beside a cool spring of never-failing water, he 
would devise improvements in his contemplated 
occupation. Thus were instilled in his mind 
the first conceptions of his art. While still at 
home upon the farm, he- led the church choir 
of his neighborhood. His education was limited 
to such opportunities as the common schools 
afforded, but his lack of classical study was com- 
pensated for in a great measure by his quick 
perception, clear insight into the nature of 
things, and the readiness with which he appro- 
priated the results of science and philosophy. It 
is his habit to perceive and generalize rapidly, 
and to come directly to his conclusions, which 
are found to be safe and accurate. 

Perhaps the quality which has been the most 
prominent factor in the success of Mr. Beatty is 



134 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his practical common sense in business matters. 
This quality enables him to arrange his plans 
with reference to the best financial results. 
Recognizing this trait, his father was led to 
entrust him with all his financial affairs while yet 
the son was in his minority. Starting out in life 
for himself without a dollar, he secured employ- 
ment as a salesman, and finally advanced to the 
manufacture of the instruments that bear his 
name. Through industry and fair dealing he 
succeeded beyond his fondest expectations. For 
a time he had his large factories in Washing- 
ton, where he had a large building, divided 
into seven departments, connected by electric 
bells, telephone and telegraph, so that news 
could be received and transmitted to all parts of 
the world. To give an idea of the extent of his 
business, it may be stated that in one 3'ear alone 
he spent $387,000 in advertising and paid the 
government $72,000 for stamps. Of late years 
he has had his organs made under special con- 
tract in a factory in Chicago, while the Beatty 
pianos were always made in New York and Bos- 
ton. It is estimated that his business has 
amounted to a million dollars per annum. In 
one year he shipped more than seventeen thou- 
sand organs and pianos. 

January 22, 1885, Mr. Beatty married Miss 
Emily H. Barnes, daughter of Lewis and Emily 
Barnes, of Warren County. The character of 
Mr. Beatty is winning. Unlike many men of 
genius he is approachable and genial in manner. 
He is generous in his contributions to projects of 
public importance and takes a warm interest in 
local affairs. Five times he has served as mayor 
of Washington and his administration, while con- 
servative, was also progressive and of benefit to 
the commercial welfare of the town. In Masonry 
he has attained the highest degree but one in the 
Scottish rite, also Knight Templar York rite and 
a member of the Mystic Shrine, also an Odd 
Fellow. In 1878 he made a tour of Europe and 
attended the Paris Exposition; in 1890 he trav- 
eled thirty- nine thousand miles, completing a 
tour of the world, and on his return published a 
book concerning his travels. With his wife he 



holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church and he has been heard to say, with some 
pride, that the first money he ever made was by 
working as sexton of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and that money he at once donated to 
the Sunday-school. 



••i+;^0::\ «■£;•- ~e~ 



cJEORGE NEWTON BEST, M. D., of Rose- 
— mont, Hunterdon County, has been emi- 
^ nently successful as a physician, and during 
the twenty-three years of his practice has ac- 
quired an extensive patronage. He is frequently 
called for consultation to various parts of the sur- 
rounding country and ranks well with the med- 
ical fraternity. But well and favorably known as 
he is in this field, he is even more widely known 
as a botanist. His numerous contributions to the 
science of plants have gained for him a reputation 
not confined to his own state or country and have 
caused him to be recognized as an authority in 
his specialty. He furnished valuable data for the 
Catalogue of the Plants of New Jersey and is now 
assisting in the preparation of the forthcoming 
Synoptical Flora of North America. He is a 
member of the Torrey Botanical Club of New 
York and of the New Jersey Natural History 
Society and is also identified with the Hunterdon 
County Historical Society. 

Our subject, a son of Cornelius and Elsie (Al- 
paugh) Best, was born in the Round Valley, 
Hunterdon County, October 16, 1846. His early 
life, with the exception of one year, when he was 
employed as a clerk in a store, was passed upon 
his father's farm. He was a pupil in the com- 
mon school of the neighborhood and, being an 
apt student, made rapid progress in his work 
there. He was but twenty-one years of age when 
he obtained a school in the country and conducted 
the same for two or three terms. Later he went 
to Pennington Institute, where he prepared him- 
self for Lafayette College. That well-known in- 
stitution of learning he entered in the class of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



135 



1873, but left its halls in his junior year in order 
to take charge of a select school at Riegels- 
ville, Pa. 

While Dr. Best was occupied in teaching in 
Pennsylvania he took up the study of medicine 
with Dr. A. S. Jordan. ■ He was graduated in 
due course of time from the medical department of 
the University of Pennsylvania, being one of the 
class of '75. The same year he located in Rose- 
tnont, and has since resided here, giving close 
attention to his professional duties. He has al- 
ways been an earnest student and is a frequent 
contributor to the medical literature of the times. 
He is an associate editor of the Lehigh Valley 
Medical Magazine and is a member of the Hun- 
terdon County Medical Society; the Medical 
Society of New Jersey; the American Medical 
Association and the Lehigh Valley Medical Asso- 
ciation. Fraternally he is identified with the 
Masonic order. 

In 1877 the marriage of Dr. Best and Miss 
Hannah Wilson was solemnized in Delaware 
Township. Mrs. Best is a daughter of Richard 
and Mary Wilson, respected citizens of Delaware 
Township. 



KEV. J. DE HART BRUEN has been pastor 
of the Presbyterian Church in Belvidere for 
the past fifteen years, during which period 
he has built up a large congregation and has so 
conducted the affairs of the flock that every de- 
partment. is in excellent working order and is a 
power for good in the community. Possessing 
the foundations of a good education and well- 
balanced mental qualities he adds thereto much 
experience in his chosen field of labor and that 
earnest zeal for the saving of souls and the eleva- 
tion of his fellow-man, without which the rest 
counts for but little with a minister of the Gospel. 
Our subject is of English descent, and has in 
his possession records of his family dating back 
as far as 1230. The old family estate was near 
Stapleford, Chester County, England. One of 



his ancestors, Obadiah Bruen, was one of the 
founders of the city of Newark, N. J., and five of 
the Bruens were freeholders of Newark in 1750. 
One of the number was with Washington during 
the war for independence and accompanied him 
on that memorable crossing of the Delaware on 
the night of the battle of Trenton. The father 
of our subject, Rev. James M. Bruen, was edu- 
cated in the University of Pennsylvania and later 
pursued his religious studies in the Union Theo- 
logical Seminary, after which he preached for 
many years in Irvington, N. J. He was a 
scholar, thoroughly conversant with the Greek 
language, and possessed great literary ability. 
For some years prior to his death, which event 
occurred January 30, 1881, he was an invalid, 
and during this period the sweetest traits of his 
noble Christian manhood shone forth. His faith- 
ful wife, Anna Maria, was a daughter of William 
W. Miller, of Hunterdon County, N. J. He 
was a man of undoubted talent, and though his 
death took place at the untimely age of twenty- 
eight years, he had already manifested the power 
of his genius to such an extent that most compli- 
mentary resolutions of regret were passed at a 
special meeting of the bar held at Trenton, N. J., 
for that purpose. Jacob Miller, his brother, was 
a member of the United States senate for twelve 
years, at the same period as was the brilliant 
statesman, Henry Clay. 

The birth of Rev. Mr. Bruen occurred in New 
Windsor, Orange County, N. Y., December 17, 
1S47. He was an only son and was afforded the 
best of educational privileges. He attended 
Newark Academy and later studied with Dr. 
George Seibert, a professor at Bloomfield Theo- 
logical Seminar}'. In 1S68 he entered the Union 
Theological Seminary, graduating in 1871, and 
received his degree of Master of Arts from Will- 
iams College the same year. During 1871 he 
taught English literature and philosophy at 
Miss Graham's Select School for Young Ladies, 
New York City, this being while he was still a 
student. His first pastorate was at Summit, N. 
J., and there he remained for seven years. He 
was the first pastor of that church, and his con- 



I3 6 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gregation consisted of twenty- three persons at 
the time he took charge of the little flock. Great 
success attended his efforts for good and in seven 
years over two hundred additions were made to 
the original number. A well-constructed edifice 
as a house of worship was erected in the mean- 
while and the pastor's salary was raised four 
times. In 1879 ne resigned to assume charge of 
a church at Clayton, N. J., where he resided for 
four years. The membership during this period 
was doubled and the Sunday-school attendance 
was trebled. In 1S83 he resigned in order to be- 
come pastor of his present church, to which he 
has indeed been a faithful shepherd. The num- 
ber of members has been doubled in the interim, 
while the number of Sunday-school pupils is 
three times as many as when he came here. He 
is chairman of the temperance committee of the 
state synod, and is a director and on the advisory 
board of the Blair Presbyterian Academy. 

June 1, 1871, Mr. Bruen married Margaret W., 
daughter of Henry Munro, of New York City, of 
an old Scotch Revolutionary family. Of the 
four children born to this union three are living, 
viz.: James Bay ley, a graduate of Princeton Col- 
lege and now a student of law at Albuquerque, 
N. M. ; Henry Munro, who is attending the 
Union Theological Seminary; and Norman Jay, 
a student in Lafayette College. The mother of 
these children died at Belvidere in Jul}', 1884. 
Mr. Bruen was again married, in December, 
1886, his wife being Elizabeth M. Brookfeld, 
daughter of John B. Brookfeld, of Belvidere. 
Two sons were born of their union, namely: 
DeHart B., who died at the age of seven years; 
and Alexander McWhorter, at home. 



61 NTHONY MELICK TRIMMER. It is not 
LI only a duty, but a pleasure to fitly com- 
/ I memorate the life of a good man, and in no 
better or more enduring manner can this be done 
than on the printed page, whereon is traced some 



faint tribute to his worth. In the hearts and mem- 
ories of his friends is the truest monument to a 
noble citizen, but, as time goes on, these must in- 
evitably fail and to future generations naught be 
preserved but the page whereon is inscribed his 
virtues. The kind and faithful father, husband and 
friend whose name stands at the beginning of this 
sketch was called to the better land May 27, 
1893. F° r nearly forty years he had been a res- 
ident of Clinton, Hunterdon County, and no one 
was more highly respected and universally 
esteemed here than he. In everything that 
made for the good of this communtiy, for bet- 
ter government, for progress, he was foremost, 
and for a number of years prior to his death he 
officiated as a justice of the peace. 

A native of Hunterdon County, Mr. Trimmer 
was born in German Valley, January 24, 1824, 
and was therefore in his seventieth year when 
death summoned him to his reward. In his early 
life he followed agricultural pursuits, and con- 
tinued so to do until a few years after his mar- 
riage. In 1 85 1 he removed from German Vallet- 
ta a farm near New Germautown, known as the 
Melick homestead, and later he occupied the 
place called the Leigh farm, it being situated 
near Clinton. In 1855 he settled permanently in 
this town, and engaged in the insurance business 
from that time until his death. He was one of 
the oldest registers of policies in this section of 
the state, and the business is still continued, A. 
Lincoln Smith having succeeded him in the firm. 
In February, 1894, the style was changed to 
Baker & Smith. Mr. Trimmer was a member of 
the Order of American Mechanics, and was a 
charter member of Star Lodge of Clinton. In his 
political faith he was an uncompromising Repub- 
lican, as he believed thoroughly in the policy 
outlined by that party. For years he was a con- 
sistent member of the Presbyterian Church, and 
contributed liberally of his means and influence 
toward the work of the same. He was generous 
and kindly toward the poor and unfortunate, and 
on account of his deeds of unostentatious helpful- 
ness, his memory is tenderly enshrined in the 
hearts of a host of friends. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



J 37 



In all his joys and sorrows Mr. Trimmer had a 
faithful helpmate, one whose daily cheer and 
sunshine of spirit was a benediction to him along 
the rugged journey of life. Her maiden name 
was Mary Maloney, her father having been 
Daniel Maloney, a Philadelphia merchant. Mrs. 
Trimmer was born and reared in the Quaker 
city, and by her marriage became the mother of 
two children: a daughter, Mary A., who is the 
wife of William C. Freeman, now connected with 
the New York Journal; and James M., who died 
May 6, 1S93. Mrs. Trimmer finds a solace for 
her lonely hours in caring for those less fortu- 
nately circumstanced in a financial way than it 
is her lot to be. She is loved and looked up to 
by all who have the pleasure of her acquaintance, 
her devoted friends being legion. 



QACOB JORDY, an honored old resident of 
I Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, has 
Q) lived upon his present homestead for nearly 
forty years. He is an example of what may be 
accomplished by a young man who has neither 
means nor influential friends, but who is industri- 
ous, persevering and upright in principle. In 
his youth and early manhood he was obliged to 
work very hard, and many a time did he feel al- 
most discouraged, but he bravely met each day's 
struggle for bread, and, by economy and strict 
denial to himself of the luxuries of life, at last 
won a position of respect in the community and a 
competence for old age. 

The birth of Jacob Jordy occurred in France, 
May 21, 1823, his parents being Jacob and Dora 
(Storum) Jordy. He passed his boyhood upon a 
farm, and there acquired a rugged constitution 
and love for Nature in all her varied moods. In 
the government school he received a good gen- 
eral education and when he was about fifteen he 
began serving an apprenticeship of three years 
at the shoemaker's trade. Subsequently he 
worked at this business until the Revolution of 



1848 in France, when he joined the army and 
served in the ranks seven years, a part of the time 
being occupied in making shoes for the soldiers. 

Desiring to enjoy the blessing of living in a 
country where freedom was a well-established fact, 
and having heard much from his childhood of the 
advantages to be obtained in America, Mr. Jordy 
set sail for the United States, and landed on these 
hospitable shores after a tedious voyage of about 
forty days, in 1852. He proceeded direct to 
Flemington, N. J., there established himself in 
his old trade of shoemaking and was thus oc- 
cupied for the next quarter of a century. In 
the meantime he bought his little farm where he 
still resides, a place of twelve acres, in 1859. 
During the past few years he has given his atten- 
tion to his garden and has more than made a liv- 
ing for himself and family from the crops which 
he gathers each year on his farm. 

Before coming to the western world Mr. Jordy 
married Miss Wilhelmina Miller, of his own 
country. They have had a family of sons and 
daughters of which they may be justly proud. 
In the order of their birth they are named as fol- 
lows: George, Frederick, Charles, Lafayette, 
Lewis, Wilhelmina, Caroline, Magdaline and 
Belle. 



r~REDERICK A. DALRYMPLE, now repre- 
Ty senting the Thorley Food Company, of 
I Chicago, in the states of New Jersey, New 
York and Pennsylvania, has made his home in 
the pretty town of Milford, Hunterdon County, 
for a number of years, and is esteemed one of our 
best citizens. He has taken an active part in 
local politics, and was quite a leader in the Democ- 
racy while in the northern part of this count}'. 
In 1S87 he was elected assessor of Holland 
Township, for a three years' term, and in 1890 
was elected collector for a year, being re-elected 
upon the expiration of his term of office for a 
period of three years. He was at the head of the 
movement which endeavored to have this town 



138 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



incorporated, but the measure failed, on account 
of insufficient support from the people. He has 
always had at heart what he believed would be 
for the welfare of his community, and has done 
his share in the support of worthy enterprises. 

The paternal grandfather of the above-named 
gentleman was Samuel R. Dalrymple, a native 
of Kingwood Township, this county. He resided 
there the greater part of his life and was the 
owner of a large and valuable estate. He died 
at the age of seventy-four years, after having 
lived for sixteen years prior to that event in the 
town of Little York, Hunterdon County. He 
was one of the earliest settlers of that village, 
and lived to see it developed into a thriving 
place. His son Eli was the father of our subject. 
He was born in Kingwood Township, and for 
more than a quarter of a century was a resident 
of Little York. He was one of the most prosper- 
ous farmers of that vicinity, and in carrying out 
his business he became well known and respected 
throughout the county. For years before his 
death, which occurred when he was sixty-two 
years of age, he was a valued member of the 
Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant. He 
was three times married, Frederick A. being the 
only child of his third marriage. This wife and 
mother, who died when forty-two years of age, 
was Hannah M., daughter of Frederick A. and 
Elizabeth (Metier) Apgar. 

Frederick A. Dalrymple was born May 27, 
1859, i n Little York, and upon his father's farm 
he quietly and happily spent his boyhood. When 
he was seventeen he left home, and, going to 
New York, he became an employe of his uncle, 
head of the wholesale grocery house of Apgar & 
Company. He continued with this firm for two 
years, after which he returned to the scenes of 
his youth, with the intention of trying his hand 
at farming. He lived upon a small farm, and 
was quite successful in its management, but he 
had had a taste of the more active and breezy life 
of the commercial man and he could not settle 
down at that time to the routine of agriculture 
for long. At the end of three years he sold out 
and came to Milford, this being in 1885. He 



became the purchaser of the old-established firm 
of D. E. Coughlin & Company, dealers in coal 
and farm implements, etc., and added to it a 
stock business. He followed these lines of trade 
successfully for seven years, and in 189 1 went to 
New York, where he carried on a commission 
business with J. J. Fredericks for three years. 
Later he secured employment as a traveling 
salesman for the Walter A. Wood Machine Com- 
pany. He worked in the interests of that firm 
three years, since which he has been an agent for 
the house of the Thorley Food Company, of Chi- 
cago. 

Fraternally Mr. Dalrymple is a member of 
Perseverance Lodge No. 30, I. O. O. F. , of Mil- 
ford, has passed all the chairs in the same and 
has served as its representative to the grand 
lodge of the state. He also holds membership with 
the Masons, belonging to Orient Lodge, F. & A. 
M., of Frenchtown. He and his family attend 
the Presbyterian Church of this place. In 1882 
he married Laura Cole, of Milford, and two chil- 
dren brighten their union, Cora May and Flora 
being the names of the little ones. Mrs. Dal- 
rymple is a daughter of Andrew J. Cole, of this 
town, and was reared to maturity here. 



■•£V-tQ:-v<<> « — :- 



"7 VERT J. BERGEN, M. D., of Washington, 
*t) is a member of an old family of this state. 
__ The genealogical record shows that his 
grandfather, Evert J. Bergen, was born in 1780, 
and engaged in farming in Somerset County , where 
he died in 1864; he married Jane Stryker, whose 
birth occurred in 1804-. Preceding him in line of 
ancestry was James Bergen (born 1755, died 
1830), who in 1779 married Anna Van Vorhees, 
the latter dying in 1852, at ninety-one years of 
age. The preceding generation was represented 
by Evert (born 1717, died 1776), who married 
Jane Hagermau in 1739. His father, Hans Jar- 
vis Bergen, was a son of Jarvis Hanson Bergen, 
who was the third son of Hans Hanson Bergen, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



139 



born in 1649, married in 1678 to Sarah Strycker, 
of Flatbush, Dong Island. The previous genera- 
tion, the first in America, was represented by 
Hans Hanson Bergen, who removed from Nor- 
way to Holland and from Holland to America in 
1633. In 1639 he married Sarah Rapalii, and 
they were the parents of the first white child born 
on Manhattan Island. 

The father of our subject was Peter S. Bergen, 
a native of Somerset Count}', N. J., and a promi- 
nent and successful merchant of Somerville, also 
a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church of that city. He married Rebecca Dilts, 
daughter of Daniel Dilts, who in 1812 purchased 
from his father the old homestead in Morris 
County, and afterward continued the owner of 
the place until his death. He was a man of 
temperate habits and sterling principle, and was 
characterized by strict integrity in all his busi- 
ness relations. He was kind and charitable to 
the poor and always sought to promote the wel- 
fare of others. By his industry and careful man- 
agement he acquired a competency, which his 
children inherited. He and his wife were de- 
voted members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He was a member of a family that set- 
tled in Hunterdon County in 1741 and has since 
been closely associated with the history of this 
section. 

In Somerville, N. J., Dr. Bergen was born 
Jul}' 11, 1846, being one of a family of three sons 
and'one daughter, the latter of whom, Julia, died 
at the age of twenty-two years. One of the sons, 
Frank, is a prominent lawyer of Elizabeth. The 
education of our subject was begun in the public 
schools of Somerset County and continued in 
Princeton College. Through the kindness of 
John Taylor Johnson, president of the Jersey 
Central Railroad, he was given a scholarship in 
the University of New York City and thus re- 
ceived advantages that would otherwise have 
been impossible. In 1877 he graduated from the 
medical department of the university , and at once 
commenced the practice of his profession in 
Somerset Count}'. His health, however, was 
poor. It was thought that he had consump- 



tion and that he would not live long. Hoping 
that a change of climate would enable him to re- 
gain his former strength, he went to Kansas and 
remained for five years, returning to Warren 
County completely restored in health. Since 
then he has resided in Washington. 

Dr. Bergen was married in 1869 to Sarah M. 
Gallaway, daughter of James Gallaway, who was 
born in England and for many years was a mer- 
chant tailor in Somerset County, N. J. One 
daughter, Julia, was born of this union. Politi- 
cally Dr. Bergen was identified with the Demo- 
crats until 1896, when the division of the parties 
on the currency question caused him to vote for 
McKinley and identify himself with the Republi- 
cans. For fifteen years he has occupied a com- 
fortable residence on Broadway. In 1887 he was 
elected coroner of the county, receiving a ma- 
jority of nearly twenty-five hundred. He has a 
large practice, that extends through the sur- 
rounding country and demands his close atten- 
tion. However, he finds time to keep pace with 
modern thought and development, especially in 
scientific pursuits, and has constructed machinery 
of his own in order to experiment with the 
X-rays. 



'HEODORE F. SWARER has been en- 
gaged iu the undertaking business in Clin- 
ton, Hunterdon County, for several years, 
and has won an enviable reputation for the sys- 
tematic way in which he meets all the require- 
ments and responsibilities of one iu this difficult 
position. He keeps a fine assortment of coffins 
and caskets of the best manufacturers, at prices 
that satisfy all classes of customers, from the most 
humble to the wealthiest. He is thoroughly com- 
petent in his line, and the tenderness and tact 
which he always manifests on the occasions when 
his offices are called into requisition are gratefully 
remembered, and are the result of his genuine 
Christian nobleness of character. 

A son of Abraham W. and Elizabeth (Hender- 



140 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



shot) Swarer, our subject was born September 8, 
1846, in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County. 
His father was likewise a native of this county, 
having been born November 11, 1 8 1 1 . He 
learned the weaver's trade in his early manhood, 
and also devoted considerable of his time to agri- 
cultural pursuits. His father, Samuel Swarer, 
was born in this county also, and, as his surname 
indicates, was of German descent. His parents, 
in fact, were both children of the Fatherland. 
Samuel Swarer lived to attain the advanced age 
of ninety-three years. Of the four brothers and 
sisters of our subject, all save one grew to matu- 
rity. Martha J. is the wife of Alexander Parks, 
of Mendon, N. J., and Sarah C. is Mrs. William 
Case, of Pittstown, N. J. John H. is a blacksmith 
in Cherry ville, N. J. 

The youth of Theodore F. Swarer was similar 
to that of all other farmer lads, his time being 
divided between working on the farm and attend- 
ing school. At the age of seventeen he com- 
menced serving an apprenticeship to the black- 
smith's trade with H. H. Reed, of Readington. 
He remained two years with him and then started 
into business upon his own account in the same 
town. He soon removed to Three Bridges, N. J. , 
where he staj ? ed about two years, still employed 
at his trade. About this time he married Zadelia 
Q. Higgins, who came from an old and well- 
known family of this county, her parents being 
John and Rhoda (Carkuff ) Higgins. Soon after 
his marriage our subject removed to the village 
of Reaville, and there built up an extensive busi- 
ness as a blacksmith, wheelwright and carriage 
manufacturer. January 20, 1890, his wife, the 
mother of his two children, John H. and Hannah 
R., was summoned to the silent land. She was a 
devoted wife and mother, a respected neighbor 
and friend, beloved by all who knew her. The 
son, John H., is carrying on his father's old busi- 
ness in Reaville, and is a promising young man. 
Hannah R. , the daughter, is the wife of George 
Corson, of Clinton. 

September 8, 1890, Mr. Swarer moved to Clin- 
ton, and in partnership with L- C. Case opened a 
furniture and undertaking establishment, under 



the firm name of Case & Swarer. This connec- 
tion continued in force about two years and was 
then dissolved by mutual consent, Mr. Case 
taking the furniture department and Mr. Swarer 
continuing the undertaking. Since 1897, in con- 
nection with his undertaking establishment, he 
has conducted a livery business, in which he has 
been successful. His equipment is the best ob- 
tainable, and to his enterprise in this direction 
the village of Clinton is indebted for an establish- 
ment that would reflect credit upon any com- 
munity. 

For twenty years Mr. Swarer has been a valued 
worker in the Presbyterian Church. In 1891 and 
1892 he was a member of the city council of 
Clinton. He was reared in the doctrines of the 
Democratic party and adhered to the same until 
recently, when, on account of the policy adopted 
by that organization, he transferred his allegiance, 
and now supports the Republican platform, which 
is more in accord with his principles. February 
17, 1892, Mr. Swarer married Miss Mary Alte- 
mus, daughter of our respected citizen, Charles 
W. Altemus, and his wife, whose maiden name 
was Lucinda Moore. 



30HNJ. BIGGS, whose postoffice address is 
Barley Sheaf, Hunterdon County, N. J., is 
one of the practical and enterprising agricult- 
urists of Readington Township. He is a native of 
this county, having been born in 1840. His 
parents, John O. and Sarah A. (Labertoux) 
Biggs, were also both natives of this portion of 
the state, as was also his grandfather, David 
Biggs. He is one of five children, of whom Peter 
and Margaret are deceased, and the others are 
Sarah and Nicholas. 

June 24, 1863, Mr. Biggs married Mary, only 
daughter of David and Rebecca (Baker) Lowe, 
both natives of this county. She has one 
brother living, Elijah H., and one unnamed died 
in infancy. Her paternal grandfather, John 




GEORGE L. ROMINE, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



H3 



Lowe, was born and reared and passed his mature 
years in this county, where he owned a large 
estate. She was born August 8, 1843, on the 
old Baker farm, where she now lives, and 
which she owns. Here her girlhood days passed 
pleasantly and rather uneventfully, her education 
being obtained in the district schools of the period. 
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Biggs has been 
blessed with four daughters, viz. : Sarah R. , 
Annie M., Maggie E. and M. Viola. 

The Baker farm is a valuable one, comprising, 
as it does, one hundred and fifty acres of highly 
cultivated land, suitable for the production of 
any variety of crops commonly raised in this 
region. The farm buildings are commodious 
and well kept and everything about the place 
shows the care bestowed upon it by the thrift}' 
occupants. Mrs. Biggs holds membership with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is liberal 
in her gifts to worthy charities and religious un- 
dertakings. Mr. Biggs favors the principles and 
candidates of the Democratic party, and has never 
sought or desired public office. 



cjEORGE L. ROMINE, M. D., well and 

□ favorably known as a practicing physician 
of Lambertville, became a member of the 
Hunterdon County Medical Society in 1880, and 
four years later was elected its president. He is 
also a member of the New Jersey State Medical 
Society, the Lehigh Valley Medical Association 
and was chosen as the president of the last-named 
body in August, 1895. Upon numerous occasions 
he has been called upon to present to these several 
societies the result of his widely extended expe- 
rience and research in his chosen field of effort 
and labor and, in addition, his frequent articles 
contributed to leading medical journals of this 
country are highly commended. 

The birth of Dr. Romine took place on his 
father's old homestead, about three miles from 
Lambertville, April 17, 1852. There he passed 



his boyhood, attending the district schools until 
he was fourteen. He then entered Stockton 
Academy, which was located near, and at the 
same time he continued to live at home. The lad 
was very ambitious and determined to become a 
scholar, so he pursued his higher studies with 
great zeal and eagerness for four years. One of 
his most ambitious plans was to enter the medi- 
cal profession, but this seemed out of the question, 
as he did not possess the requisite means. There- 
fore for a few years he was obliged to forego his 
own wishes and worked on the farm. When he 
was about twenty-three he began the study of 
medicine by himself and in 1876 he registered as 
a pupil under Dr. Lewis C. Rice, of Lambertville. 
A year later he entered the medical department 
of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated 
therefrom three years subsequently. In large 
measure he paid his own way during this period, 
and soon after his graduation he located in this 
town, since which time his progress has been 
marked. His clientage has been constantly in- 
creasing in numbers and importance, and, having 
made a specialty of diseases of the nose, throat 
and ear, his work along that line has added 
much to his practice. He is a Republican, and 
does his duty as a voter, but has little time for 
politics beyond that. In 1SS4 he was elected a 
member of the city council on the Republican 
ticket, and gave good satisfaction to all concerned. 
Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to the blue 
lodge, chapter and St. Elmo Commandery, K. T. , 
of Lambertville. When comparatively a young 
man he became identified with the Presbyterian 
Church. February 17, 1S81, he married Cathe- 
rine Bellis, who was born in Hopewell, N. J., and 
was then a resident of Ringgold, N. J., her 
parents being John and Sarah Bellis. 

The first representative of the Romine family 
in America was James Romine, of Monmouth 
County, N. J., who owned land there as early in 
the last century as 1709. He was a native of 
England, and after the war of the Revolution in 
the United States, some of his descendants settled 
in Hunterdon County, among these being Furman 
Romine, the grandfather of our subject. This 



144 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



worthy man located on a farm three miles from 
this town, in fact, the identical place where the 
birth of the doctor occurred. Charles Romine, 
the latter' s father, was born on the old farm in 
1812. He married Clarissa, daughter of John 
and Martha (Sergeant) Reading, of this county. 
Of the eight children of Charles and Clarissa 
Romine, six grew to mature years, and five 
are still living. Clarinda, the eldest, grew to 
womanhood and married Andrew Butterfoss, and ' 
lives in Frenchtown, N. J. Richard H. is a 
farmer of Delaware Township. Lucy never mar- 
ried and still lives on the old home place. Fur- 
man was in partnership with George Agnew in 
the milling business in Titusville, N. J., until he 
died a few years ago. John R. is a civil engi- 
neer in McKeesport, Pa. 

The first maternal ancestor of Dr. Romine to 
come to America was Col. John Reading, who 
crossed the ocean from England in colonial days 
(1685), accompanied by his wife and two children, 
John and Elsie. The two latter were sent back 
to England to be educated, after which they re- 
turned to America. The boy, John, in time be- 
came a very prominent man and the owner of a 
large tract of land near Raven Rock, N. J. ; sub- 
sequently he was elected governor of the state of 
New Jersey. His son, Joseph, was appointed a 
captain of militia by Governor Belch, and in 1776 
was made judge of the court of common pleas. 
Judge Reading had a sou also named Joseph, a 
man of prominence and great integrity, whose 
son, John, was the grandfather of Dr. Romine. 
Mrs. Martha (Sergeant) Reading was a daughter 
of Lohman and Lydia Sergeant, who were of Ger- 
man extraction and lived in the neighborhood of 
Raven Rock. 



*N3*£= 



30SIAH C. BRITTON, who has served the 
people of Raritan Township, Hunterdon 
County, as township treasurer, and has 
filled various other minor positions of trust and 
honor, is a representative farmer of this locality. 



In addition to managing his desirable home- 
stead with ability, he has been very successful in 
his financial operations and investments and is 
to-day well-off in this world's goods. The regular 
line of products raised in this region is grown 
upon his farm, and from his orchards alone he 
reaps abundant harvests each year. Industrious 
and enterprising, he deserves prosperity, and is 
gradually acquiring a competency. 

Born in Readington Township, this county, 
May 19, 1842, our subject is a son of John A., 
and grandson of Nathaniel Britton, both natives 
of this county, and of English descent. John 
A. married Sarah Cole, and of their five children 
only two survive, Margaret, Henry L- and 
Charity having been called to the silent land. 
John W. is a resident of Flemington. The father 
was a farmer by occupation, and also worked to 
some extent as a mason, which trade he had 
learned in early manhood. He was a useful 
member of the Baptist Church and was beloved 
and esteemed for his innate nobility of character, 
which constantly found expression in his daily 
life. Death claimed him in 1876, at the ripe age 
of seventy-two years, and his mortal remains 
were placed to rest in Stanton cemetery. His 
faithful wife had died many years before, in 1851, 
and was buried in the same church- yard. 

Josiah C. Britton was deprived of his loving 
mother's tender care and guidance when he was 
but nine years old. His education was that of 
the farmer lads of his day, perhaps sufficient for 
the period but falling below the standard of to-da}', 
when every child has advantages greatly above 
those of his parents. In 1847 hi s father pur- 
chased the farm of one hundred acres, a mile and 
a-half northwest of the town of Flemington, now 
in the possession of our subject. After the 
latter's marriage in 1867 he bought this property, 
and has ever since been engaged in its improve- 
ment and cultivation. The fine orchard on the 
place comprises twenty-five acres, eighteen acres 
of this being planted with peach trees and the 
remainder in apple and pear trees. Politically 
Mr. Britton is a Democrat, using his franchise in 
favor of the platform and nominees of his party. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



145 



He is identified with the Baptist Church of Flem- 
ington, being one of the elders in the congrega- 
tion. 

The marriage of Mr. Britton and Miss Ellen 
C. Ewing was celebrated in 1867. Nine chil- 
dren came to bless their hearts and home, and 
the happy family circle is still unbroken by death. 
In order of birth they are as follows: Bertha, 
Mrs. W. S. Barton; George E., a farmer; John 
A., a graduate of Cornell University; Harry W., 
a graduate of Stewart's Business College; Josiah 
H., Russell, Hannah, Martha and Walter. 



-3 — i £>K®($§|iH+K-»- 



Gl UGUSTUS K. SMITH has been the pro- 
I I prietor of a hardware store in Clinton 
/ I during the past ten years, and keeps a 
complete assortment of stoves, tinware, plumbers' 
and gas-fitters' supplies, etc. In the spring of 
1888 he bought this establishment from the ex- 
ecutors of the estates of John S. Madison, the 
business being located on East Main street until 
1896, when Mr. Smith removed to more com- 
modious quarters, his present place. He pos- 
sesses good financial ability, is methodical and 
enterprising, and is strictly upright and fair in 
all his dealings, thus winning the confidence of 
the people. 

Our subject's father, Asher Smith, was a native 
of Union Township, Hunterdon County, born in 
1809. He learned the tailor's trade, which he 
followed in early life, but from 1850 until his death 
gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. He 
voted the Democratic ticket, and religiously was 
a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. He married Mary A. Stires, who was 
born in the same township as himself ten years 
after his birth, in 18 19. They were the parents 
of seven children, viz.: Augustus; Mary E., un- 
married; John O., who lives near Pittstown 
Eemuel and James, who died in childhood 
Alexander, who was employed as a carpenter bv 
the New Jersey Central Railroad, and was killed 



at Junction by the falling of a pile of lumber upon 
him in a car; and Daniel, who was killed by 
a horse when seventeen years old. 

Augustus K. Smith was born about three 
miles from Clinton, in Union Township, Hunter- 
don County, September 30, 1840. His educa- 
tional advantages were rather limited, being 
confined to a few months' schooling during the 
winters, while the rest of the year he was needed 
on the farm. Dike many a man of his day he 
has had to rely chiefly upon his own efforts and 
private study in order to become well informed- 
His most important step in his early manhood 
was in his choice of a wife; he was married 
November 18, 1863, to Mary E. Hulsizer, whose 
parents were Mahlon and Adeline (Sharp) 
Hulsizer. She was born in Clinton Township 
June 21, 1840. 

After his marriage Mr. Smith settled down in 
Union Township, in the vicinity of his old home, 
and engaged in farming there two years, after 
which he was similarly occupied on a homestead 
in Warren County, N. J. Returning to this 
county he located in Clinton, where he has since 
made his home. For a few years he dealt in live- 
stock and produce, and then became interested in 
the manufacture of cigars. He employed from 
six to eight hands for a few years, but in 1876, 
on account of the financial panic, was obliged to 
give up the business practically, though he still 
carried it on in a small way for some time. The 
next ten or twelve years he was the owner of a 
bath house in High Bridge, which enterprise was 
moderately successful. During the past decade 
he has been in the hardware business here, as 
stated at the commencement of this article. In 
matters of a political nature he holds fast to the 
principles set forth by the Democracy, and 
fraternally is a Mason, being associated with 
Mansfield Dodge No. 36, F. & A. M., of Wash- 
ington, N. J. He is a member of the Presby- 
terian Church of Clinton, of which he is a regular 
contributor. 

To the marriage of Augustus Smith and wife 
two sons and two daughters have been born: 
Mahlon, a motorman, employed in adjacent 



146 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



cities; Mary E., wife of William C. Fredricks, 
a bookkeeper of the Bee Hive Store, in Newark; 
Daniel S., who received a classical education in 
Petty 's Academy in Hydestown, N. J., later was 
employed in various humble capacities in the 
office of the Clinton Democrat and is now in his 
third year of the medical department of the 
University of Pennsylvania; and Frances E., who 
has been cashier and bookkeeper in the store of 
W. S. Black, of Clinton, for the past five years. 
The paternal grandfather of Mr. Smith was Asher 
Smith, Sr. , who was a wheelwright by trade, 
which calling he worked at in connection with 
farming throughout life. His homestead was 
located where Jutland now stands. He was one 
of the honored early members of the old stone 
Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem and was loved 
and esteemed by all who knew him. 



30HN FITTS, a retired farmer residing in 
Washington, was born in Oxford Town- 
ship, Warren County, N. J., near the old 
Summerfield church, May 6, 1824. He is of 
direct German descent, as indicated by his name. 
About one hundred and seventy-five years ago 
his great-grandfather emigrated from Germany 
and settled in Washington Township, Warren 
County, where he took up a large tract of land. 
The next in line of descent, our subject's grand- 
father, was born and reared in that township, 
where he operated a farm until his death. He 
was a man of excellent character and an earnest 
member of the Presbyterian Church. 

The father of our subject, Christopher Fitts, 
was born in Washington Township, and when a 
mere lad served in the War of 181 2. In connec- 
tion with the occupation of a farmer he followed 
the cooper's trade. Politically he was a Demo- 
crat, always stanch in his allegiance to the party. 
As his wife he chose Mary Petty, whose father 
owned a farm one mile north of Washington and 
whose family was among the oldest in this sec- 



tion; her mother was a member of the Strader 
family, also among the oldest and most influen- 
tial in the county. When quite a young man 
Christopher Fitts was killed as the result of an 
accident. His wife died at the age of fifty-four 
years. They were the parents of four sons and 
one daughter: Samuel, a farmer; Jonathan, who 
died, leaving several children; Jacob, who re- 
sides in Washington; John; aud Sarah Ann, who 
passed from earth at seventeen years of age. 

After the death of his father our subject was 
taken into the home of his paternal grandfather, 
who dying, bequeathed him the old homestead in 
Washington Township. At that time he was 
nineteen years of age. He continued to make 
his home there until 1855, when he sold the 
property and purchased a large farm near 
Asbury, this county. In 1894 he retired from 
farm work and moved to town, where he has no 
business cares except the supervision of his 
farm. 

In 1845 Mr. Fitts married Miss Eydia Car- 
hart, daughter of Samuel Carhart, who was a 
soldier in the War of 18 12, a Whig in politics and 
a farmer by occupation. He was a descendant 
of Scotch ancestors who settled in Warren 
County more than two hundred years ago. Mr. 
and Mrs. Fitts became the parents of eleven 
children, namely: Julia, who is the wife of Will- 
iam Shipman, of Belvidere; John W., a merchant 
in Washington; Enoch G., who is with his older 
brother; Joseph, a traveling man, whose head- 
quarters are in St. Joseph, Mo.; Mary J., wife of 
William Hiner and a resident of Franklin Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County; Henry, who is unmar- 
ried and resides at home; Tirzah Alva, wife of 
Jacob Miller; Addie, wife of Benjamin Hutchin- 
son, a merchant of Morris Count}-, N. J. ; Maggie, 
wife of Herman Wood, of Newark, N. J.; Rosa, 
whose husband, Oscar Osmon, is a farmer at 
Harmony, Warren County; and Jesse C, a mer- 
chant at Oregon, Holt County, Mo. 

For years Mr. Fitts adhered to Democratic 
principles, but a realization of the injury wrought 
by the liquor traffic led him to ally himself with 
the Prohibitionists. For some time he was jus- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



147 



tice of the peace and also overseer of the poor. 
After the death of his first wife, which occurred 
in 1882, he was united in marriage with Mrs. 
Stott, formerly Annie Rosenberry, of Phillips- 
burg, N. J. For the past fifty-seven years he 
has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and he has served the congregation as 
Sunday-school superintendent, steward, trustee 
and treasurer; in fact, in every important official 
capacity except that of pastor. 



REV. GEORGE H. YOUNG, rector of Zion 
Episcopal Church of Belvidere and also of 
St. James' Church of Delaware, N. J., has 
been located in Belvidere for the past four and 
a-half years, and is engaged in a grand and far- 
reaching work for the uplifting of humanity. He 
has had much experience in his chosen field of 
labor and possesses the sympathy and love for 
mankind and the earliest desire to help them that 
bring inevitable results for good. He is a man 
of excellent education and good attainments. 

A native of Norfolkshire, England, born June 
7, 1S62, Mr. Young is a son of George C. and 
Lydia (Woods) Young. The father, now living 
a retired life, was formerly a physician, and is 
a graduate of Edinburgh University. He came to 
the United States in 1874, settling in the state of 
New York. For some years he has made his 
home in Washington, N. J. He is the editor of 
the Red Cross Knight, the official organ of the 
Knights of Malta. To himself and wife, who 
was a daughter of Robert Woods and a native of 
Cambridgeshire, England, four children were 
born. She died in 1876. 

The higher education of Rev. George H. 
Young was obtained in St. Stephen's College 
and in the General Theological Seminary in 
New York. From the first-named institution he 
graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 
1S85. While continuing his studies he acted as 
lay missionary in charge of a church at Washing- 



ton, N. J., and largely owing to his zeal the 
beautiful new house of worship there was erected. 
The architecture of the church is of a very unique 
style, and it was designed by the celebrated 
architect W. Halsey Wood. Our subject was 
ordained a deacon in 1888, and a year later was 
admitted to the priesthood, both ceremonies be- 
ing performed by Bishop H. C. Potter of New 
York. Then he officiated as chaplain of St. 
Luke's Hospital up to the time that he was as- 
signed to be rector of St. Andrew's Church, in 
Walden, N. Y. In October, 1893, he came to 
his present charge, where he soon found great 
favor with not only the members of his congrega- 
tions, but with the public in general. 

June 27, 1889, Mr. Young married Ruth, 
daughter of the late William Sweeny, who at 
one time was the sheriff of Warren County, N. J. 
Four children, two sons and two daughters, came 
to bless this union, and in order of birth are named 
as follows: Samuel, Ruth, George and Susan. 



~LIAS VOSSELLER has been numbered 
^ among the representative business men of 
__ Flemington, Hunterdon County, for nearly 
thirty years. He is the proprietor of a well- 
stocked stationery and book store, and, in addi- 
tion to that line of goods, keeps a full line of 
pianos and other musical instruments of stand- 
ard make. He has been treasurer of the Flem- 
ington Building and Loan Associaton (No. 4), 
which has been particular^ successful, and to 
the timely assistance of which many a citizen 
hereabout owes his pretty home or valuable 
farm. 

In the early part of last century one Jacob 
Vosseller left his ancestral home in the Fa- 
therland and founded a new one in the 
United States. At first he settled in Schoharie 
County, N. Y., but afterwards removed to Somer- 
set County, N. J. There he was married, and 
had a son Luke, born in 1762. He died in 1842, 



148 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and his son Jacob was the father of the subject 
of this article. Jacob Vosseller was a successful 
farmer of Somerset County during his lifetime. 
He married Margaret Van Fleet, by whom he 
had ten children, named as follows: Elizabeth 
Ann, John, Margaret, Sarah, Henry, Theodore, 
Elias, Dora, Mary L. and William. John mar- 
ried Marietta Van Fleet, and is a farmer of 
Somerset County. Margaret married Augustus 
Reger, a merchant and farmer of Somerset Coun- 
ty. Sarah is the widow of John S. Voorhees, a 
farmer aud carpenter of Somerset County. Mary 
E. is the wife of John B. Myers, a dealer in coal 
in Raritau, as is also William, the youngest of 
the family. Elizabeth A., Henry, Theodore and 
Dora are deceased. 

Elias Vosseller was born in Somerset County, 
October 2, 1836, and, after completing the pub- 
lic school course, attended the Delaware Literary 
Institute in Franklin, N. Y., from which in- 
stitution he graduated. From that time until 
1870 he was occupied in teaching school and 
classes in music, but in the year mentioned he 
opened his present business. He has been blessed 
with success, and has always enjoyed a large 
share of the trade of his fellow-townsmen. For a 
number of years he was in the fire department 
service here, and in many ways has been identi- 
fied with the prosperity of this community. In 
regard to his standing on political questions, he 
is a Republican, and has never sought or wished 
for official positions. Religiously he is a Presby- 
terian, for many years has been an elder in the 
church here, for seventeen years was the organist, 
and for a quarter of a century has filled the place 
of superintendent of the Sunday-school. He was 
elected corresponding secretary of the Hunter- 
don County Historical Society at its organization, 
which office he has retained without intermission 
from that time to the present. 

The good wife of our subject was a member of 
the choir of the Presbyterian Church, and a 
teacher in the Sunday-school for years. In her 
girlhood she was Julia A. Sleeper, her parents 
having been Hudson and Amanda Sleeper, 
farmers of Otsego County, N. Y. The marriage 



of Mr. and Mrs. Vosseller has been graced with 
three children: Harold A., who is married and is 
in business in Cleveland, Ohio; Bertha, now a 
teacher of music in Wilson College, Chambers- 
burgh, Pa.; and Elizabeth, her twin sister, who 
is at home. 



PETER S. LATOURETT is a highly re- 
spected citizen of Readington Township, 
>5 Hunterdon Count}'. He was born and has 
always resided in this locality, and, in fact, his 
dwelling place has been from infancy the same 
old home that shelters him now. His forefathers 
for several generations have been associated with 
the upbuilding and development of this immediate 
section of the county, as here his great-grandfa- 
ther Latourett settled upon his arrival in Amer- 
ica from his native country, France, and here his 
children aud children's children were born aud 
passed their lives. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, another Peter, was a native of Readington 
Township, and was a successful farmer here. 
He lived to the extreme old age of ninety-six 
years. During the war of the Revolution he of- 
fered his services to the Continental arm}', fol- 
lowing the example of LaFayette and others of 
French origin or parentage. 

Peter S. Latourett, named in honor of his 
thrifty grandsire, was born April 28, 1819, being 
the only child of his parents, Thomas S. and 
Margaret (Schonip) Latourett, both natives of 
this township. The father was a carpenter as 
well as a farmer, and was quite successful in his 
financial enterprises. After his death his fine 
homestead of two hundred acres became the prop- 
erty of our subject. For several years when in 
his prime he held local offices, such as tax col- 
lector, committeeman, etc. In national elections 
he has always voted the Democratic ticket. 

November 16, 1S42, Mr. Latourett married 
Christiana DeMott, who was born and reared in 
this county. One son and one daughter were 
born of this union, Thomas S. and Margaret. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



149 



The daughter is deceased, but the son is now 
managing the old farm for his father. He 
chose for his wife Harriet Hunt, of this neighbor- 
hood, and their four children are named re- 
spectively, Susan, Margaret, Eva and Peter S., 
Jr. Our subject and wife are members of the 
Reformed Church. 



HENRY O. CARHART, M. D., of Blairs- 
town, has been located in this place for over 
ten years, during which period he has been 
steadily engaged in a successful practice. A 
student of the profession, he keeps in touch with 
medical societies, medical journals, etc., and is in 
sympathy with the spirit of science and progress. 
He is a member of the Warren County Medical 
Society, and a few years ago was president of the 
same. He also is connected with the State Med- 
ical Society, and is retained as medical examiner 
for a number of important insurance societies, 
railroad corporations, etc. 

Robert B. Carhart, father of the doctor, is a 
well-known merchant of Phillipsburg and at pres- 
ent is a freeholder there. He is affiliated with 
the Democratic party. For a number of years he 
was engaged in the manufacture of wall paper in 
Belvidere, his native village. His father, Will- 
iam Carhart, was born in Hunterdon County and 
located in Belvidere when a boy. He was a 
cabinet-maker by trade, established a sash, door 
and blind factory, and became one of the prosper- 
ous business men of the town. He died at the 
ripe age of eighty years. Robert B. Carhart 
married Catherine S. Bryan, daughter of John 
M. Bryan. Six sons came to bless their union, 
but only two are left, the doctor and Bartley B., 
the latter of Phillipsburg. The mother is still 
living. 

Henry O. Carhart was born in Belvidere 
June 13, 1863, and was four years old when his 
parents moved to Phillipsburg. There he grew 
up, being educated in the public schools. Eater 



he attended Jefferson Medical College in Phila- 
delphia, graduating therefrom in 1886. The fol- 
lowing 3'ear he practiced under the guidance of 
Dr. J. H. Griffith, and in 1887 he came to Blairs- 
town, and buying out the practice of Dr. Arm- 
strong, settled down to business. He is surgeon 
for the Second Regiment of New Jersey Uniform 
Rank of the Knights of Pythias. He is medical 
examiner for the Mutual Eife Insurance Company 
of New York, for the New York Life Insurance, 
the Pennsylvania Mutual Life of Philadelphia 
and the Northwestern Life Insurance of Mil- 
waukee. Fraternally he is identified with the 
Masons, belonging to Blairstown Lodge No. 165, 
F. & A. M., of this place, of which he is past 
master, and to Baldwin Chapter, R. A. M., of 
Newton, N. J. In the Odd Fellows' society he 
is a member of the local lodge, and with the Red 
Men he is past sachem of Kittatinny Tribe, of 
Blairstown. He is, moreover, a member of 
Marksboro Council of the Royal Arcanum, and 
medical examiner for the same and for the order 
of the Golden Star. Politically he is a Democrat. 
In 1894 he was elected collector of Blairstown, 
and in 1897 was re-elected for three years. He 
is very popular with our best people, and has 
reached his present position in the esteem of all 
who know him entirely through his own merits. 



ORENZO S. D. KERR is prominent not 
C only in the business circles of Frenchtown, 
_f/ but also in civic affairs, and at this writing 
he holds the responsible position of mayor, which 
he is filling in a manner reflecting the highest 
credit upon his own abilities. To this office he 
was elected in 1896, after having served efficient- 
ly as a member of the city council for three 
terms. In politics he favors the protection plat- 
form advocated by the Republican party and 
gives its candidates his support. However, he 
is deeply interested in the temperance cause and 
leans toward the Prohibition parly. 



15° 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Mr. Kerr was born in Kingwood Township, 
Hunterdon County, in 1842, and is a son of Abel 
and Mary Ann (Search) Kerr. His father, who 
was a son of William Kerr, was born in King- 
wood Township, and there spent the larger part 
of his life, but twelve years before his death he 
removed to Frenehtown, where he remained un- 
til he died. He was an influential citizen and a 
successful farmer. Politically he adhered to 
Republican principles. At the time of his death 
he was seventy-two years of age. His wife, who 
was a daughter of William Search, was sixty at 
the time of her death. She was a woman of sin- 
cere Christian character and a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Of their nine 
children only four survive, namely: Bartlett; 
Mary E., wife of J. C. Wilson; William, who 
lives in Bucks County, Pa. ; and Lorenzo S. D. 

At the age of twenty-five our subject went to 
the state of Delaware, where he was engaged in 
the lumber business for six years. About 1875 
he located in Frenehtown, where for the past ten 
years he has owned and carried on a spoke, rim 
and wheel factory, being one of the leading busi- 
ness men of the place and having the next to the 
largest factory of its kind in Hunterdon County. 
In addition he is engaged in the fruit business, 
owning a fruit farm in Bucks County, Pa. In 
politics he is an active Republican. 

August 30, 1864, Mr. Kerr enlisted as a mem- 
ber of Company H, Thirty-fourth New Jersey 
Infantry, Colonel Lawrence's regiment, and served 
until the close of the war, being stationed at May- 
field and Memphis, and in the vicinity of New 
Orleans. While in Kentucky he was seized with 
fever and for several weeks was confined to the 
hospital. For some time he has been a trustee 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he 
is a member. Fraternally he is connected with 
Lodge No. 95, K. of P. His first wife was Mary 
E. Wilson, a daughter of Richard Wilson, who 
at her death left four children: Harvey H.; Ger- 
vas H. ; May, wife of William Arnwine; and 
Richard W. W. His second wife bore the maiden 
name of Martha J. Bellis and is a daughter of 
Emly H. Bellis. One child blesses this union, a 



son named James Lester. Mrs. Kerr was first 
married to Runyon Apgar, by whom she had two 
children, Roscoe and Emly B. 



'HOMAS LEQUEAR. Almost the entire 
life of this gentleman was spent on the farm 
where he was born in 18 19" and where, in 
1896, his eyes were closed in death. The prop- 
erty is the old family homestead and has been in 
the possession of the representatives of various 
succeeding generations, having been originally 
granted by the English government to Thomas 
Lequear, a native of France and an early settler 
of America. Coming to this country he settled 
in Hunterdon County and at once commenced the 
improvement of his grant in Kingwood Township. 
Upon this place afterward resided his son Thomas 
and grandson John, the latter being the father of 
our subject. 

When a boy, the subject of this sketch spent 
six years on a farm near Rosemont, in Delaware 
Township, but with that exception he was a life- 
long resident of Kingwood Township. Follow- 
ing the example set by his ancestors, he chose 
agriculture for his occupation, and to it all the 
years of his active life were devoted. He was an 
industrious, persevering man, ambitious to keep 
his place under first-class cultivation and im- 
proved with neat buildings. As he became older, 
of necessity he retired to some extent from man- 
ual labor, but he continued the supervision of his 
farm interests until his death, at the age of 
seventy-seven years. 

In the political affairs of his day Mr. Lequear 
always maintained a warm interest, and he was 
well posted concerning the issues of his age. His 
first vote was cast for William Henry Harrison in 
1840. Upon the organization of the Republican 
party he became one of its enthusiastic sup- 
porters, and afterward always supported its men 
and measures. His marriage in 1S45 united 
him with Mary Barcroft, daughter of Richard 




JOHN B. HOPEWELL. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



153 



and Eliza (Lequear) Barcroft, a lady of noble 
character and great worth. She passed away in 
1882, at the age of sixty-two, leaving four chil- 
dren: Elizabeth; Caroline; John B., living in 
Germantown, Pa.; and Martha. Stacey B. died 
at the age of five years. 



• < ^*>(ii|)®<+c<« — «—£— 



(JOHN B. HOPEWELL, president of the 
I Flemington Water Company and also of the 
G/ Flemington Gas Company, is one of the 
most reliable business men of the town of Flem- 
ington. He has been largely interested in 
numerous of the leading financial enterprises of 
this place, and has always been confidently relied 
upon to do all that was in his power to advance 
the welfare of this community. He has made 
Flemington his home since boyhood, and feels 
patriotic pride in all of our industries, improve- 
ments and steps in the direction of progress. 

The father of the above-named gentleman, 
John C. Hopewell, was born at Mount Holly, 
Burlington County, N. J., November 26, 1814, a 
son of Becket and Rebecca Hopewell. In early 
life he was apprenticed to learn the hatter's trade, 
completing the same when about nineteen. He 
then followed his calling in Philadelphia for three 
years, after which he embarked in independent 
business for himself, but the panic of 1837 caused 
him to sell out. In 1842 he came to Flemington, 
and was here in the same trade for about five 
years, then returning to the Quaker city, where 
he was very successful during the next seven 
years that he was in the commercial world. 
Giving up his store, he retired to Flemington, 
and erected here a fine residence. He was not 
long idle, however. In 1 859 he built the gas works 
here, and the next year the water-works plant. 
Then he became a director in the Hunterdon 
County National Bank, and in 1865 was elected 
its vice-president. In 1864 he built the sub- 
stantial brick building in which the banking 
establishment is situated. In addition to it, the 



post-office and a store are on the ground floor, 
and various offices on the second, and a public 
hall on the third floor. The same year, 1864, 
he was largely instrumental in securing the 
steam-engine and other appliances for the fire 
department. From 1858 until he declined re- 
election in 1878, on account of advanced age, he 
was the president of the Hunterdon County 
Agricultural Society. Though an ardent Re- 
publican, he would never accept public positions. 
September 10, 1835, he married Ann, daughter 
of Abraham Housell, a native of Flemington. 
He died April 30, 1888, at the age of seventy- 
four years and his wife died June 12, 1885, when 
seventy- one years old. 

John B. Hopewell was born in Philadelphia, 
July 1, 1 84 1, was a pupil in the public schools of 
that city for a -few years and completed his ed- 
ucation in the seminary at Bethlehem, Pa. He 
then engaged in the mercantile business in Flem- 
ington for about five years. A friend of his, 
who was cashier in the Hunterdon County 
National Bank, desiring an assistant, prevailed 
upon our subject to accept a position for a few 
months. This was in 1864, and it resulted in 
Mr. Hopewell's being given the place -of cashier, 
for the friend resigned in a short time, thus leav- 
ing a vacancy. Young Hopewell had already 
made a good record for faithfulness and ability, 
and was promoted from one place to another, 
always giving entire satisfaction to the officials of 
the bank. For the long period of thirty -one 
years he was connected with the institution, and 
only resigned in 1895, on account of the pressing 
demands of his outside investments and interests 
upon his time and attention. He settled up his 
father's estate, and, as previously mentioned, is 
president of the Water and Gas Companies of 
Flemington, besides being secretary of the Cem- 
etery Association, etc. While an earnest Re- 
publican, he has never been ambitious for public 
position, nor would he ever accept such honor and 
responsibility. 

May 17, 1866, Mr. Hopewell married Annie 
M. F., daughter of George F. Crater, then of 
Flemington. Of their three children one died 



154 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



when but a few months old. The elder daughter, 
Annie, is the wife of a dry-goods merchant of 
New Brunswick, N. J. Bessie R. , who is at home, 
is musical in her tastes, and is helping to train 
the choir of children in the Presbyterian Church 
with which the family are identified. Mr. Hope- 
well is one of the main stays of the church, and 
has been president of the board of trustees for 
several years, and has sung in the choir for about 
thirty-five years. He enjoys the genuine respect 
and regard of all who have the pleasure of his 
acquaintance. 



EaHgjj 



pQlLLJAM H. BREWER, a progressive 
\ A / young agriculturist of East Amwell Town- 
V V ship, Hunterdon County, is now carrying 
on the old homestead which formerly belonged 
to his father. He is practical and thoroughly 
equipped by experience to property conduct a 
valuable tract of land, such as has been handed 
down to him, and the care and attention bestowed 
upon the place by him are plainly manifested b}' 
the neat appearance of everything and the air of 
thrift and enterprise about the premises. 

Since his first recollections, our subject has 
been connected with this fine old home, as here 
his birth occurred February 17, 1861, and here 
his boyhood and thus far his manhood have been 
spent. He is the second William in the direct 
line who has owned this place, though he is the 
only one who was born here, as his father was a 
native of Raritan Township, and the grandfather 
was born in Readington Township, this county. 
The father married Gertrude Wert, a native of 
this district, and daughter of Abraham Wert, a 
respected citizen of this community. Two chil- 
dren were born to William and Gertrude Brewer, 
our subject's brother being Elisha W., who lives 
on a farm near the town of Three Bridges, N. J. 
The father and grandfather of our subject followed 
farming. After his marriage, October 11, 1854, 
to Miss Wert, Mr. Brewer moved to the farm 



where his son and namesake now resides, and 
here the rest of his life was passed uneventfully. 
He was born July 29, 1825, and died February 
19, 1889, and rests in the old Presbyterian ceme- 
tery. He was an elder in the Amwell Presby- 
terian Church for about twenty years, and was a 
very active and interested worker in the church. 

William H. Brewer remained with his father 
after he had reached his majority, giving him his 
assistance and lightening his shoulders of the 
burdens of responsibility that were more and more 
burdensome to him in his declining years. The 
farm which he inherited comprises eighty-four 
acres, besides which there is another tract of 
woodland — some sixteen acres. The owner 
raises a general line of crops and is somewhat of 
a dairy farmer. For years he has been a mem- 
ber of the same church as had been his father, 
and after the death of the senior Brewer he was 
elected to serve as an elder in the congregation 
in his place, and has since done so. For fifteen 
years he has been superintendent of the Sunday- 
school, and takes great interest in the work, as 
he became a member of the church himself when 
he was but twelve years old, and a pupil in the 
Sunday-school. His mother, a most estimable 
lady, is a member of the same church. She 
makes her home with her son William H. 

The marriage of Mr. Brewer and Miss Adelaide 
Nonamaker was solemnized in 1886. She is the 
daughter of Silas Nonamaker, and grew to woman- 
hood in this community. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Brewer three daughters were born. 



gENJAMIN BEOYS, the popular postmaster 
of Stanton, Hunterdon County, has held 
this position for the past twelve years, hav- 
ing been appointed during the administration of 
President Harrison. He is stanch in his al- 
legiance to the Republican party in general elec- 
tions, but in local affairs prefers to vote for the 
best man, rather than for party candidates. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



i55 



Since 1S86 he has been actively engaged in busi- 
ness in Stanton, conducting a store stocked with 
a fine line of varied merchandise suitable to meet 
the demands of the trade. 

Our subject is a native of London, England, 
his birth having occurred there March 6, 1853. 
He is a son of Maurice and Emma (Smith) 
Bloys, both of England, the former a prosperous 
grain merchant. When he was just entering 
upon his business career, Benjamin Bloys con- 
cluded to cast in his lot with the people of the 
United States, as he believed that greater oppor- 
tunities are here afforded a young man of push 
and determination to succeed. . In 1873 he made 
the voyage to America, coming direct to New 
Jersey. For a period he was occupied in farming, 
and in 1886 started his general store at Stanton. 
In his own country he had acquired an excellent 
education, and, having met the requirements of 
our count}' school examiners, he obtained a 
school, and engaged in teaching for about five 
years with gratifying success. He enjoys the es- 
teem of the whole community, whether in a busi- 
ness or social way, and is noted for his correct 
judgment and excellent financial methods. He 
is identified with the Masonic fraternity, and his 
estimable wife is a member of the Reformed 
Church of this place. 

December 24, 1890, Mr. Bloys married Laura 
M. Berkaw, a daughter of John V. Berkaw, who 
was postmaster of Stanton for the extremely 
long period of forty years. Mrs. Bloys is a na- 
tive of this township, and by her marriage has 
become the mother of a bright little son, named 
Benjamin Berkaw Bloys. 



HON. RICHARD S. KUHL, state senator, 
was elected in 1894 on the Democratic ticket 
to represent Hunterdon County. A notable 
fact in connection with this event is that this was 
the only county in the whole state that had a 
Democratic majority, and, as the numerous 



friends of our subject urge, his personal popu- 
larity undoubtedly had a great influence on the 
result. He has served on many important com- 
mittees and has made a record worth}' of emula- 
tion. The good of the public is the matter near- 
est to his heart and he can be confidently relied 
upon to advocate only such things as he honestly 
believes are right and best. 

Born on a farm situated about three miles from 
this place August 25, 1841, Richard S. Kuhl is a 
son of Leonard P. Kuhl, who was well and 
favorably esteemed in this county during his 
whole life. He was born in October, 1800, fol- 
lowed farming and milling as a means of obtain- 
ing his own and his family's livelihood, and for 
a quarter of a century was a justice of the peace 
or held some other more or less important office 
in the township. His ideas were far in advance 
of those of his day, and possessed much weight 
with his neighbors and associates. A faithful 
Christian, he was a member of the Presbyterian 
Church, and at the time of his death, in 1857, was 
an elder in the same. He was a son of Paul 
Kuhl, who was born in this county, and was of 
German descent. He, too, was an influential 
man in his neighborhood ; was ordained an elder 
in the Presbyterian Church in 18 16 and died in 
1861. 

The mother of Senator Kuhl was Dorothy Sut- 
phin before her marriage. She was born in 1810, 
and died in 1892, her life having been filled with 
goodness manifested toward all with whom she 
came in contact. From early years she was con- 
nected with the Presbyterian Church. Her father, 
Abraham Sutphin, was of German lineage, but 
was born in Hunterdon County, and kept a 
country store here in the early part of this cen- 
tury. To L. P. and Dorothy Kuhl six children 
were born. Paul was a sergeant in the Union 
army and was killed during the eight days' battle 
of the Wilderness. Henrietta married Maj . 
Lambert Boeman, who had enlisted as a private 
in the Fifteenth New Jersey Regiment and was 
promoted to be major of the same regiment, and 
while acting colonel of the Tenth New Jersey and 
leading his command at the battle of Cedar Creek 



156 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was killed. His widow is now residing in Flem- 
ington. Elizabeth B., twin sister of our subject, 
is the wife of John D. Van Lieu, of Des Moines, 
Iowa. 

The boyhood of Richard Kuhl was spent upon 
his father's farm near this place, and when he 
was nineteen he had received only the advantages 
of the common schools in the way of an educa- 
tion. He then entered the Lawrenceville high 
school, managed by Dr. H. S. M. Hammel, and 
two years later began the study of law in the 
office of Bennett Van Sickel, of Flemington, now 
a justice of the supreme court of New Jersey. 
In 1864 Mr. Kuhl was admitted to the bar as an 
attorney and in 1867 was made a counsellor. 
For two years he was associated with Hon. 
Abraham V. Van Fleet, vice-chancellor of this 
state, and in 1887 Governor Green appointed him 
judge of the court of common pleas for Hunter- 
don County. This position he held most credit- 
ably until 1 89 1. He holds membership with the 
Presbyterian Church, which he joined when a 
youth, and in 1869 he was ordained a deacon and 
in 1888 a trustee in the congregation. Frater- 
nally he is a Knight Templar Mason. 



DE WITT TAYLOR, who has been engaged 
It in the practice of law in Belvidere, Warren 
|_^ County, for the past twenty-two years, has 
won a high place in the regard of his associates 
and fellow-citizens. To his own ambition and 
energy he mainly owes his enviable position in 
the community, for, his father having died when 
he was a youth, he was forced to learn early the 
severe lessons of self-reliance and independence of 
others' assistance. 

A native of Northampton County, Pa., born 
October 28, 1850, he is a son of William S. and 
Nancy (DeWitt) Taylor, whose family comprised 
but two children, a sou and daughter. The fa- 
ther was much respected by his neighbors, was 
very liberal and public-spirited and was a faith- 



ful member of the Presbyterian Church. His life 
occupation was that of agriculture, in which pur- 
suit he was quite successful. Death cut short his 
career when he was in the prime of manhood, in 
1865. His widow is still living, being now in 
her seventy-fifth year. She was a daughter of 
James and Morgant DeWitt, and a member of an 
honored old family whose ancestors left France 
early in the eighteenth century. The Taylors 
came to America from Holland several genera- 
tions ago, and have chiefly followed farming in 
this and other states. 

Having completed his education in the public 
schools of his native county, L. D. Taylor came 
to Belvidere, where he obtained employment as a 
clerk, working for different firms for three years, 
then going to Philadelphia he entered a business 
college, and after finishing the course, returned 
to this place and for three years more was a stu- 
dent in Professor Knighton's Classical Academy. 
Having made up his mind to enter the legal pro- 
fession, he then began the stud}' under the direc- 
tion of Judge W. H. Morrow, and in February, 
1876, was admitted to the bar, three years later 
being admitted as counsellor, and appointed a 
supreme court commissioner and a special master 
in chancery by the late Chancellor Runyon. Since 
that time he has been busily occupied in practice 
and has been prospered in his chosen work. His 
connection with various important cases of general 
interest has brought his name prominently into 
public notice, and has built up for him a reputa- 
tion for ability and knowdedge of the law. At 
the time of the great ring trials in this count}-, 
when several officials of high standing were tried 
and sent to prison for malfeasance in office, he 
was attorney and counsel for the board of free- 
holders. He is a director in the Warren County 
National Bank. In politics he is an independent 
Democrat. For fourteen years he was one of the 
trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of this 
place, but resigned from the office in 1896. 

October 21, 1885, Mr. Taylor married Miss 
Sara M. Thackston, then a resident of Brooklyn, 
N. Y. She is a daughter of Thomas C. Thack- 
ston and Miss Catherine Nelson, of Virginia, who 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



157 



is a direct descendant of Thomas Nelson, one of 
the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have two daughters, Mar- 
guerite Nelson and Gladys Thackston. 



-^>-5~ -♦v5**>£i0 , K «-:<♦•- • 



fi)G) AL/TER F. HAYHURST, a prominent 
\ A/ attorney and counsellor-at-law in Lam- 
VY bertville, Hunterdon County, was ap- 
pointed by Governor Griggs as prosecutor of 
pleas for this region in 1896, and has made a 
reputation for fairness,- keenness and impartial 
justice and truth that is most creditable to him 
and his constituents. During the eighteen or 
more years that he has been occupied in the duties 
of his profession in this town, he has won the 
confidence and respect of the people. Four years 
he acted in the capacity of city solicitor, and for 
several years he was city surveyor. He has been 
connected in one way or another with many of 
the business concerns and other institutions of 
the town calculated to advance our local interests. 
W. F. Hayhurst was born September 21, 1856, 
in Attleborough, Bucks County, Pa., and came 
with his parents to Lambertville when a child. 
He was a great student and book- worm, spend- 
ing all of his spare time in reading whatever he 
could find in the way of literature. He earned 
the money with which to pay for his higher edu- 
cation by clerking in stores, and when about 
twenty he began his legal studies under the 
direction of Charles A. Skillman. He also was 
employed as a civil engineer in the laying out of 
the Lambertville water works at the same time 
that he was studying law. He was admitted to 
practice as an attorney in 1880, and three years 
later was made a counsellor. He is a director in 
the Centennial Building and Loan Association; 
for years was a member of the Fleet Wing Hook 
and Ladder Company; and treasurer of the Fire- 
men's Relief Association, and is a life member of 
the New Jersey State Firemen's Association. In 
1893 he was grand chancellor of the grand lodge 



of the Knights of Pythias; is a member of Lone 
Star Lodge No. 16, K. of P.; of Leni Lenape 
Lodge No. 15, I. O. O. F. , in which he has 
passed all the chairs, and served for several years 
on the law and supervision committee of the 
grand lodge. As president of the Hunterdon 
County Historical Association he carried on some 
effective work in that direction. In the Repub- 
lican party he is a leader of no little influence, as 
he is a worker in the state league of Republican 
clubs, and was a member of the county board of 
elections. Under the old law, since declared 
unconstitutional, he was suggested as a candidate 
for the judgeship, and his real popularity with 
both political parties has been evinced more than 
once. 

November 14, 1883, Mr. Hayhurst married 
Florence M., daughter of C. Frank Moore, who 
served with distinction in the late Civil war, and 
was long one of the sterling merchants of this 
place. He was devoted to the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, making her interests his own. Mrs. 
Hayhurst is a granddaughter of Sidney Black- 
well, to whose energy is due much credit for the 
early development of this city. The two chil- 
dren of Mr, and Mrs. Hayhurst are, Cuthbert, 
born in 1887; and Sydney Blackwell, born in 
1890. 

The first of the Hayhurst family to settle in 
America was one Cuthbert Hayhurst, a native of 
Yorkshire, England. With his wife, Mary, and 
children he came on the good ship "Welcome," 
with William Penn, landing at Upland October 
29, 1682. In 1654, 1655 and 1656 he had been 
imprisoned for his opinions, as he had adopted 
the religious belief of the Society of Friends and 
was a recommended minister of the same. He 
therefore sought a home in a land where freedom 
of thought was possible. He secured a grant of 
five hundred acres of land situated on the banks 
of the Neshaminea Creek, Bucks County, Pa., 
but died before the papers were made out, and 
was buried September 2, 1683. His widow, 
however, received the deed to the property Octo- 
ber 29, 1685, and it descended to their five chil- 
dren. One of them, Cuthbert, was born in 



158 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



England February 29, 1678, and died in Middle- 
town, Pa., June 22, 1733. He married Mar}' 
Harker, and of their five children, John was the 
great-great-grandfather of our subject. This an- 
cestor was born in 1728 or 1729, and married 
Mary Wiggins June 9, 1762. In December, 
1776, the officers of one branch of Washington's 
army were quartered in his house, near the old 
Eagle Tavern, in Makefield, Pa. One of his 
seven children was Bezaleel, born in Makefield 
February 2, 1766. He was noted for his gravity 
and seriousness of deportment, and for his energy 
and physical strength. April 6, 1788, he married 
Susan Smith, and removed a few years later into 
the forest with his household, settling near the 
present site of Catawissa in 1793. Of his seven 
children, Thomas, the grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was born in Upper Makefield March 6, 1789. 
He was a school teacher and a surveyor, a man 
of unusual attainments for those times in the 
wilderness. October 22, 1818, he married Mar- 
tha Crossdale, and ten children blessed their 
union. He died in Philadelphia May 26, 1861. 

Jeremiah, father of W. F. Hayhurst, was born 
in Middletown, Pa., September 25, 1819, and is 
still living, his home being in Lambertville, 
where he has been for years past, and is most 
highly esteemed. In his youth he worked for 
his father in the pottery business, and later went 
to Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to complete his educa- 
tion. He was a natural student and was especially 
gifted as a mathematician. After his graduation 
he accepted a position as a teacher of lan- 
guages and mathematics, and subsequently went 
to Kenuett Square, Chester County, Pa., where 
he opened a boarding-school, which he success- 
fully conducted several years. Among his pupils 
were many who later became famous in some of 
the walks of life, Bayard Taylor being one of 
these. 

When he was about thirty-two years of age 
Jeremiah Hayhurst married Mary E. Forwood. 
Soon after this event he took up the study of 
dentistry with the assistance of Dr. Anderson, 
and finished his course in the Philadelphia Dental 
College. He did not at once settle down, but 



traveled from one town to another for a time, 
until he was made a clinical instructor at his 
alma mater, and later a member of the faculty. 
After conducting an office in Attleborough (now 
Eanghorne) for a few years, he removed to Lam- 
bertville in the fall of 1862. He was one of the 
originators of the New Jersey Dental Society, 
was its president and was chairman of the state 
board of dental examiners, and represented the 
same in the National Association. He has often 
prepared and read papers before these several 
notable bodies, and was selected to deliver an 
address on the history of dentistry before the 
World's Congress at the Columbian Exposition 
in Chicago. In former years he was very active 
in political affairs as a Republican, and was a 
justice of the peace for years. In religious 
belief he adheres to the faith of his ancestors, is 
a recommended minister in the Society of Friends, 
and in 1895 attended the Yearly Meeting in Bal- 
timore. 



r"ORREST A. RICE is, in the estimation of 
r?) Democrats and Republicans alike, one of the 
I most efficient and popular postmasters that 
has filled this position in Flemington for years 
past. He has been a citizen of this place for 
about a quarter of a century and deserves great 
credit for the manner in which, by his own merits 
and hard work, he rose from a humble, poor lad 
without financial resources to a place in the com- 
munity worth}' of respect. 

His grandfather, Albert Rice, was a native of 
Connecticut, but in his early manhood he re- 
moved to Trenton, N. J., where he engaged in a 
wholesale and retail grocery business. He had 
three children: Albert; Hiram, who succeeded 
him in business; and Hettie. Albert Rice, father 
of our subject, was born in Trenton, and while a 
mere lad became familiar with the details of his 
father's extensive trade, so that, upon the death 
of the senior, he and his brother took up the 
work and made a success of it. He married 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



159 



Anna Garwood, daughter of George Garwood, a 
business man of Trenton. Albert Rice died when 
in the prime of life, in 1858. He had been a 
faithful member of the Methodist Church and in 
his political standing was a Republican. Some 
years subsequent to his death his widow remar- 
ried, her husband being Charles S. Joiner, a 
printer by trade, and a resident of Trenton. 
They had two children, Lewis G. and Lilliam M. 

The birth of Forrest A. Rice took place in 
Trenton, April 24, 1856. He attended the public 
schools of that city until he was about twelve 
years of age, when he became independent enough 
to leave home and go forth to seek his own liveli- 
hood. Locating in Frenchtowu he commenced 
learning the printer's trade, and was employed 
on a newspaper for some time. In 1872 he came 
to Flemington, and entered the office of the Hun- 
terdon County Democrat under Charles Tomlinsou. 
Upon the death of that gentleman the paper was 
purchased by Robert J. Killgore. The young- 
man remained with the new management until 
May 1, 1894, and is even now sometimes called in 
to settle some complication, for he is thoroughly 
posted in journalism in all its phases. He was 
appointed postmaster of this town May 1, 1S94, 
and during his term he has given complete satis- 
faction to all of our citizens. He has been par- 
ticularly courteous and obliging, as every one has 
remarked, contrary to the way many public offi- 
cials have of meeting inquiries and suggestions. 
For two years he was secretary and treasurer of 
the board of street commissioners of Flemington 
and has been the chairman of the Democratic 
executive committee of Hunterdon County since 
1885. He is a member of Flemington Lodge No. 
94, I. O. O. F. ; Adelphi Encampment No. 19; 
Wichcheoke Tribe No. 24, Order of Red Men; 
and Flemington Council No. 731, Royal Arca- 
num. 

In October, 1873, Mr. Rice married Josephine 
Opdyke, daughter of William R. Opdyke, of 
Frenchtown. They have five children: Stella, 
born May 23, 1874, now the wife of Howard P. 
Barrass, of this place, and mother of one child, 
Forrest H.; Albert A., born December 13, 1877, 



and a druggist by occupation; Eveline, born 
October 8, 1878, and an assistant in the postoffice; 
Charles G., born April 5, 1882; and W. Earl, 
born May 23, 1S84. The family are members or 
attendants of the Baptist Church of Flemington, 
and enjoy the respect of all who are acquainted 
with them. Mrs. Rice's grandfather, Amplius 
B. Chamberlin, of Locktown, was a pioneer in 
the early politics of this county, was elected sheriff 
on the Democratic ticket in 1844, and again 
served the people as their representative in the 
state legislature. 



QEUBEN A. WILLIAMSON, a well-to-do 
|^\ and enterprising farmer of Alexandria Town- 
y\ ship, Hunterdon County, has been a life- 
long resident of this portion of the state, and has 
been thoroughly identified with its best interests 
since he arrived at maturity. His people on both 
sides of the family have been for generations in 
New Jersey, and have been noted for sterling 
qualities as business men, citizens and neighbors. 

The birth of our subject occurred in Bethlehem 
Township, Hunterdon County, in 1842. He is a 
son of Peter Williamson, a native of the same 
locality. He spent his early manhood there, 
later removing to Union Township. He was a 
practical farmer, and made a competence for him- 
self and family. Politically he was a Democrat, 
and at various times he served as a freeholder or 
in other local offices, always acquitting himself 
with honor. Death closed his busy and useful 
career in 1877, when he was about sixty-nine 
years of age. His father was John Williamson, 
who was a farmer in Bethlehem Township 
throughout his life. He lived to a good old age, 
dying when seventy-five. He, in turn, was the 
son of Peter Williamson, of the same locality, and 
thus the line can be traced back to the original 
founder of the family in this state, he having 
come here from Germany. 

The mother of Reuben A. Williamson was 



i6o 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Charity, daughter of Charles and Leah (Hoag- 
land) Clifford, who were of Holland-Dutch ex- 
traction. Mrs. Williamson, now past her nine- 
tieth birthday anniversary, is still in the enjoy- 
ment of good health, and retains to a remarkable 
degree all of her faculties, and can read or sew 
without the aid of glasses. She is living with 
her son, of whom we write, and is loved and re- 
vered by all who know her. By her marriage 
with Mr. Williamson she had seven children, of 
whom Ann M. married Mahlon Fox; Charles 
died at the age of thirty-nine years; Mary Jane 
died in infancy; John R. is a resident of Union 
Township; Reuben A. is next to the youngest, who 
is Joseph, of Union Township. John Clifford, 
the grandfather of Mrs. Williamson, was a soldier 
in Captain Horton's company, and served all 
through the war of the Revolution, and was with 
Washington when he crossed the Delaware. He 
attained the ripe age of ninety-four 3'ears. One 
of his grandsons, the uncle of Mrs. Williamson, 
was a member of the New Jersey legislature for 
nine years, this period including the War of 18 12. 
He was a Democrat and quite active, holding the 
offices of justice of the peace, etc., in his own 
community. 

Until the year of the Centennial, 1876, Reuben 
A. Williamson continued to dwell in Bethlehem 
and Union Townships, with his parents. He 
then removed to his present home, where he has 
since been very actively occupied in the cultiva- 
tion and improvement of the place. He owns 
one hundred and twenty-six acres of fine land, 
well adapted for general farming purposes. By 
industry and strict attention to business he has 
made a good livelihood, and has provided against 
the needs of the future by laying aside a compe- 
tence. He is one of the committeemen of this 
district and takes commendable interest in the 
promotion of all measures which in his estimation 
will accrue to the good of the people. His right 
of suffrage is used by him on behalf of the De- 
mocracy. 

In 1872 Mr. Williamson married Sarah, daugh- 
ter of Charles and Olivia Roundsville. Five 
children came to bless their hearthstone: Lewis 



E. ; Charles R. , now a teacher in the public 
schools; Raymond; Olive R. and Sarah. The 
family attend the Presbyterian Church of Mount 
Pleasant, being identified with the same as mem- 
bers. Our subject is an Odd Fellow, belonging 
to Perseverance Lodge No. 30, of Milford. 



©GjlLLIAM G. CALLIS, the popular editor 
\ A I and proprietor of iheHvLnterdon Republican, 
V V is a native of Flemington, in which town 
the journal is published. He has always con- 
ducted his paper in an able, manly way, making 
it an apt exponent of the principles of the Re- 
publican party. The journal is a bright, newsy 
sheet, very popular with most of our citizens, 
and devoted largely to the interests of this 
vicinity. Its policy is somewhat conservative, 
always thoughtful, and on the side of progress 
and advancement and purity and uprightness in 
public offices. ■ 

Joseph Callis, the grandfather of our subject, 
was a native of England, but became a citizen of 
the United States about 1800. His son James, 
father of William G. , was born in Flemington 
and was engaged in watch-making here many 
years. He was a member of the Presbyterian 
Church, and was connected with the Sons of 
Temperance. His wife, whose maiden name was 
Ann Gallaher, was likewise born and reared in 
this county, and of the six children born to this 
worthy couple but two, Elizabeth and William 
G., survive. The others were Mary, Sarah, 
Caroline and John. 

The birth of William G. Callis occurred Janu- 
ary 8, 1844, in Flemington. Having completed 
his education in the public schools of this town, 
he entered the printing office of the Republican 
and literally worked his own way up to be at last 
the head of the establishment. From actual 
experience he learned every detail pertaining to 
the newspaper business, and in about nineteen 
years after entering the office he purchased the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



161 



entire plant. This event took place in 1881, 
since which time he has conducted the journal 
without any opposition to his own plans. Person- 
ally he has been greatly interested in politics, 
but, owing to the demands of his business upon 
his time, would never accept an office of public 
trust and responsibility. He is a director in the 
Hunterdon National Bank and has passed all the 
chairs in Darcy Lodge No. 37, F. & A. M., 
of Flemington. 



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HON. JOHN R. FOSTER. The gentleman 
whose name heads this article is now rep- 
resenting this district in the senate of New 
Jersey, having been elected thereto in the fall of 
1897. His nomination to this important position 
was a case of the office seeking the man, as the 
Democratic party in Hunterdon County, where 
he resides, had great difficulty in deciding upon a 
fitting man to carry their banner against the 
heavy opposition of trusts and corporations com- 
bined for their defeat. It was therefore deter- 
mined in the councils of the party that their 
candidate must be free from all entanglements 
whatever with corporations, one who had the 
confidence of the people, and who could be relied 
upon to advance their interests. In all respects 
Mr. Foster had these difficult requirements, and 
that he stands high in the estimation of the 
people was attested by the handsome majority 
which he received. 

Mr. Foster was born in Somerset County, N. 
J., March 1, 1844, being a son of Nathaniel 
S. and Mary Ann (Skillman) Foster, who were 
also natives of this state. The first of the Fosters 
to come to America from England were friends 
and associates of William Penn, and settled in 
Bucks County, Pa. Andrew, the grandfather of 
our subject, was a native of Bucks County, and 
was there occupied in agricultural pursuits. Of 
his children Andrew removed to Ohio, and from 
him is descended the Fosters of that state. Ben- 



jamin also went to the West. Nathaniel S. was 
born July 1, 1800, near Lambertville, N. J., to 
which place his parents had removed from Penn- 
sylvania. Here he was engaged in farming until 
1836, when he went to Somerset County, N. J. 
He was married in 1824 to the daughter of William 
Skillman, who had conducted blacksmith shops 
in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. Seven 
daughters and four sons came to bless the union 
of Nathaniel Foster and wife. The eldest, Mary 
Catherine, died when young; William S. is a res- 
ident of Kansas; Jacob is in Illinois; Andrew 
Jackson died at the age of five years; Catherine 
married Henry R. Wycoff, a farmer of Somerset 
County; Ann Rebecca married Andrew J. Cahill, 
of Dayton, Ohio; Elizabeth, now deceased, 
married Isaac R. Reed, who lives in Ohio; Mary 
S. is the widow of William W. Wolverton, of 
Somerset Count}-; Carrie Matilda married George 
Conger, and resides in New Brunswick, N. J.; 
John R. is the next of the family; and Josephine 
died when three years old. 

The early educational advantages of John R. 
Foster were not of the best, as he attended school 
little more than the winter's term until he was 
fifteen years of age, in the meanwhile giving 
much of his time to farm work. When he was 
eighteen he began to receive wages, and was thus 
employed until about the time of his marriage, 
which event took place April 29, 1871, the lady 
of his choice being Amanda, daughter of John T. 
and Rebecca (Cole) Cole. They have one son, 
William W., born October 15, 1872. 

For the first ten years after his marriage Mr. 
Foster lived upon a rented farm which he leased 
for that period. In 1880 he purchased a farm of 
eighty acres, situated near Flemington Junction, 
but, owing to failing health, he sold the place in 
1888 and took an extended tour through the 
West, being gone from home about seven 
months. In the spring of 1889 he bought his 
present farm of ninety-five acres near the town of 
Three Bridges. He was one of the first in this 
region to engage to any extent in dairying, and 
has built up a good trade in this line. 

In political matters Mr. Foster has not followed 



l62 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



blindly the dictates of any party, though in prin- 
ciple he has always been a Jeffersonian Demo- 
crat. He has always favored the nomination of 
men who uphold the principles of the constitution, 
and is opposed to measures which benefit the rich 
or corporations. When urged to accept nomina- 
tions for various positions, he has always de- 
clined, save once, when he served as a township 
committeeman for two terms, and when he be- 
came 5 candidate for the seuatorship in 1897 it 
was only because he was strongly urged to do so, as 
a duty that he owed the people. For years he has 
been an indefatigable student of political economy, 
all his spare time having been given to this sub- 
ject, and few men are better posted than he. 
This was evidenced in the stirring campaign of 
the fall of 1897, and his victory (a majority of 
nearly eight hundred votes) was the more marked 
as there was nothing to call out a heavy vote, 
there being no election for county or state offices 
outside the legislative ticket. When but eighteen 
years of age Mr. Foster united with the Reformed 
Church, and wherever he has resided he has 
been connected with some congregation and been 
actively engaged in church work. For a number 
of years he was superintendent of the Sunday- 
school in Pleasant Run, and held a like position 
in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Stanton, 
being also a member of the official board of the 
same. He was a licensed exhorter there, and 
since locating at his present home he has been 
a deacon in the church at Three Bridges. 



|~}ETER C. YOUNG, M. D., has been actively 
\y engaged in the practice of his profession in 
\3 the town of Ringoes, Hunterdon County, 
for about a quarter of a century, and, in addition 
to the merely local patronage which he enjoys, he 
has a large country practice. The physician who 
would succeed must be thoroughly posted in the 
latest and best methods employed by his profes- 
sional brethren, must be wide-awake, courteous 



and possessed of great tact and enterprise. In 
short, very few understand the varied qualities 
which the family practitioner is expected to man- 
ifest at all times and under all circumstances. 
The subject of this review has built up a reputa- 
tion that is truly enviable and justly deserved. 

The doctor's father, Theodore J. Young, was a 
farmer of East Amwell Township, Hunterdon 
County, and there both he and, in turn, his father, 
John Young, were born and passed their lives. 
The first wife of Theodore J. Young was Miss 
Ann Case, and the two children born to them, 
Mar}' and Oliver I,., are both deceased. After 
the death of his first wife he married her sister, 
Mary, and the only child of their union is the 
doctor. Eater the doctor's father married Han- 
nah E- Moore, and of their children John is a 
resident of Philadelphia; Mrs. Samuel Slaber 
lives in Philadelphia; Clinton makes his home 
in Wilmington, Del.; and Annie lives in the 
Quaker city with her mother. 

Until 1857 Theodore J. Young was engaged in 
carrying on his farm, but at that time he removed 
to Ringoes, and here continued to reside as long 
as he lived. Having purchased the Washington 
Hotel, now managed by John Burns, he carried 
it on for years with success. Death put an end 
to his busy and useful career when he was in his 
sixty-fifth year, and he is now sleeping his last 
sleep in the quiet cemetery of Clover Hill. A 
faithful and consistent member of the Presbyterian 
Church, he left to his children a heritage more 
lasting and much more to be desired than wealth 
or large estates, the heritage of an unblemished 
name. 

Dr. P. C. Young was born on the paternal 
farm near Wertsville, East Amwell Township, 
September 4, 1852, and was but five years of age 
when he came to Ringoes. He grew to man's 
estate in the town, attending the public schools, 
where he obtained a good general education. 
Then he pursued the higher branches of study 
with Dr. Andrew Earison, and was but eighteen 
when he commenced reading medicine under the 
direction of Dr. Cicero Hunt, of Ringoes. Hav- 
ing finished his preliminary work, he entered the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



163 



medical department of the University of Pennsyl- 
vania, and was graduated therefrom, in due pro- 
cess of time, March 13, 1873. Returning home, 
he opened an office and has since devoted all of 
his time and energies to the practice of the heal- 
ing art. The only secret society with which he 
is associated is that of the Odd Fellows, as he be- 
longs to Powhatan Lodge of this place. 

The doctor was first married July 20, 1872, to 
Annie Blackwell, who died November 30, 1873. 
Subsequently he married Ella Blackwell, whose 
death occurred in 1888. March 21, 1893, he 
wedded the lady who now bears his name, and 
who was formerly Annie M. Tunison. Their 
marriage has been blessed with a little daughter, 
born August 21, 1895, and named Magdeline. 
The doctor and his estimable wife are members 
of the Presbyterian Church and are counted 
among the best members of local society. They 
are interested in whatever tends to promote the 
welfare of their fellows and are liberal towards 
the support of various benevolences. 



V A H. ALBERT is one of the honored old 
V residents of Hope Township, Warren 
(f) County, and since 1850 has made his 
home on the farm near the village of Hope, this 
property having formerly been known as the 
Miller place. For a quarter of a century he 
served his fellow-townsmen as supervisor of roads, 
and in other local positions. He always has done 
his share toward the support of measures which 
he deemed for the good of the community in 
which his lot was cast. A Democrat in his politi- 
cal creed, he has never been a politician in the 
modern sense. 

Jacob Albert, father of our subject, was born in 
the city of Philadelphia, but came to this county 
when a boy, and was brought up by his uncle, for 
whom he had great affection. He stayed with 
the uncle until he was eighteen, according to an 
agreement, and then the youth learned the shoe- 



maker's trade, which he then proceeded to follow 
for several years. Having thus laid aside a fair 
sum of ready money, he went to Mansfield Town- 
ship, where he invested it in a farm. After liv- 
ing upon the place for forty years he sold it, and 
removed to a homestead which he owned upon 
the Jennie Jump Mountains. At that time he 
was one of the most extensive land holders in the 
region, as his estates comprised six farms. Dur- 
ing the rest of his career he operated the farm on 
the mountain side, and to his credit be it said, 
that his snug little fortune was entirely made by 
his own industry and toil, for he commenced life 
a poor boy, with no one to look to for any aid. 
He was a Democrat, and religiously was con- 
nected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and 
was one of the most sturdy advocates of the Free 
Union Church. He died at the ripe age of eighty- 
seven years. His faithful helpmate, whose girl- 
hood name was Betsy Molett, departed this life 
when about sixty-five years of age. She was a 
daughter of John Molett, and by her marriage 
became the mother of eight children, of whom 
four survive: M. H.; James; Samuel, of Colum- 
bia; and Elizabeth, wife of Albert Gruver. 

M. H. Albert was born in Mansfield Township 
in 1818, and lived in that locality until he was 
eighteen, when he went, with the other members 
of the family, to their new home upon the beauti- 
ful Jennie Jump Mountains. He continued to 
live at home, aiding his father in the management 
of the farm, and attending to many of his busi- 
ness interests, up to about 1850. He then came 
to the farm where he is still making his home. 
In addition to owning this valuable place he fell 
heir to one of his father's farms on the mountains, 
and besides he owns several other tracts of land. 
He has always followed agricultural pursuits, 
and has been prospered. 

In all of his undertakings for many years past 
Mr. Albert has been assisted, cheered and 
strengthened by the loving advise and counsels 
of his devoted wife, whose maiden name was Jane 
Cook. They were married in 1854 and have a 
son and a daughter: Margaret, wife of Israel 
Cyphers; and Jacob, who is a member of the firm 



164 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of Beatty & Albert, of Hope. Mrs. Albert is a 
daughter of Consider and Margaret (Howell) 
Cook. The father was a native of this county, 
and having mastered the mason's trade, he took 
contracts for buildings, bridges, etc. He died 
when fourscore years old. Mr. and Mrs. Albert 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
the former having been a trustee and steward for 
a quarter of a century. 



p G\ ALTER D. GULICK. Though beginning 
\ A / in business with a very small capital, Mr. 
V Y Gulick has succeeded in acquiring pros- 
perity and a position among the foremost citizens 
of Washington, where he is engaged as a lumber 
merchant and wholesale grain dealer. Not far 
from his lumber yard, on Belvidere avenue, 
stands his elegent residence, completed a few 
years ago at a cost of $6,000, and standing on a 
slight eminence that commands a fine view of the 
town and country. The house is surrounded by 
a large lawn, adorned with shrubs and trees, 
while in the rear is a substantial modern stable. 

Near Morristown, in Morris County, N. J., the 
subject of this sketch was born in 1861. His 
father, Ezra P. Gulick, a native of Warren 
County, was for years the proprietor of a mill and 
farm situated near Hackettstown, Warren 
County, but is now living retired from business. 
At the outbreak of the late war he joined the 
Union forces and remained in the service for nine 
months, when he was honorably discharged. 
Politically he has always been a Democrat. He 
has held almost all of the township offices and has 
been very prominent in local affairs. Fraternally 
he is a Mason. He is one of the leading mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church and 
serves as superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
At this writing he resides at Vienna, Warren 
County. His father, Derrick Gulick, was a life- 
long and highly respected resident of this county. 

The mother of our subject was Clara Force, a 



native of Hunterdon County and the daughter of 
Thomas Force, a well-to-do farmer. She had 
but two children, Walter D. and Annie, wife of 
Simon A. Ayers, a farmer residing near Hacketts- 
town. The early years of our subject's life were 
spent at his father's home and in the mill. He 
attended the public school at Hackettstown and 
the Centenary Collegiate Institute in Hacketts- 
town. At the time of attaining his majority, in 
1882, he embarked in the general mercantile 
business at Vienna, where he continued for eight 
years. During four years of this time, under the 
first administration of President Cleveland, he 
was postmaster at Vienna. Selling out in 1889, 
he came to Washington and purchased from L. 
G. Salmon one of the oldest lumber yards in the 
city and here he has since remained. That he 
has been successful is evinced by his large yard 
and extensive business. Within his yard may be 
found all kinds of lumber, as well as mason's ma- 
terials, lime, cement, sash, doors, etc. In addi- 
tion to his lumber trade he has a large wholesale 
grain business, in which he gives employment to 
a number of hands. 

In 1885 Mr. Gulick married Miss Estella Hay, 
daughter of Isaac Hay, a farmer of Sarepta, 
Warren County. Two children were born of 
their union, Jennie and Charles L. As a Demo- 
crat Mr. Gulick has taken an active part in local 
affairs, but has never sought office. While in 
Vienna he served as town clerk, as well as post- 
master. Fraternally he is connected with the 
Odd Fellows, and in religious belief is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



GlNDREW YETTER is a large operator in 
|_1 lumber, and that, too, chief! y with various 
/ l railroad companies. It is a matter worthy 
of comment that this estimable citiztn of Blairs- 
town, Warren County, has been the sole architect 
of his fortunes. He started out in the journey of 
life empty-handed, depending entirely upon his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



165 



native resources, and not even having had a good 
education, in the ordinary sense. He, however, 
possessed great will-power, and was industrious, 
attentive to his own affairs, and methodical in all 
his transactions. Thus in time he has become 
influential and prosperous, and may well be 
pointed out to the younger generations as a fitting 
example of what may be accomplished by one 
who has the requisite amount of pluck and per- 
severance. 

Born in Sussex County in 1836, our subject is 
a son of Jacob Yetter, a native of the same local- 
ity. He passed his whole life in that immediate 
vicinity and was noted for his quiet, industrious 
characteristics. He entered into his final rest 
when he was about seventy-three years of age. 
His father, Yost Yetter, was born in Germany, 
and was among the early settlers of Sussex Coun- 
ty. The wife of Jacob Yetter was a Miss Eliza- 
beth Gruver in her girlhood. Of their nine chil- 
dren six are living, viz.: Hannah Jane, widow of 
Andrew J. Rice; Christina, widow of Isaac 
Keeue; Mary, wife of Isaac Sinister; Simeon, 
Andrew, and George, a resident of Blairstown. 
The mother departed this life when in her eighty - 
third year. 

Andrew Yetter lived in his native county until 
he reached man's estate, when he embarked in 
the butcher's business, carrying on the enterprise 
there for several years. In 1858 he came to 
Blairstown, and for the succeeding four years was 
occupied in the same line of business. After- 
wards he became interested in the wholesale and 
retail commission trade, buying direct from farm- 
ers and shipping produce to New York markets. 
During the several years that he gave this branch 
of commerce his attention he also entered into 
other enterprises, as when he was for five years a 
partner in the firm of A. H. Smith, of Blairstown, 
for about eighteen years was connected with 
Robert Craig (firm Yetter & Craig), and for a 
year was concerned in a mercantile establishment 
in Polina. 

In 1875 Mr. Yetter commenced dealing in lum- 
ber, buying large tracts of timber, and then man- 
ufacturing all kinds of lumber and railroad ties. 



His land was chiefly located in Pennsylvania and 
New Jersey, and for years he has manufactured 
about one hundred thousand ties, which he dis- 
poses of to the various railway corporations of 
this portion of the United States. Besides, he 
manufactures large quantities of special lumber _ 
used in cars and locomotives and car-repairing. 
He has been active as a builder of houses, etc., 
as well, and now owns thirteen residences in 
Newton, N. J., and twelve double houses in 
Blairstown. Much of his success he attributes to 
the fact that he has always personally looked 
after his own finances, and has been his own 
bookkeeper. 

In his political faith Mr. Yetter is a Democrat, 
and has served as a freeholder of Blairstown for 
some time with credit. His wife, whom he mar- 
ried in 1856, was Miss Martha J. Opdyke, daugh- 
ter of John W. Opdyke, of Sussex County. They 
have no children. Mrs. Yetter is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church, and is respected and 
loved by all who have the pleasure of her ac- 
quaintance. 



—t-— t»ffi 



9®HC"ik 



~S—-f- 



TjHARLES A. SKILLMAN. This honored 
l citizen of Lambertville, often and justly 
>_J termed the Nestor of the Hunterdon Coun- 
ty bar, commenced the practice of law in 1S52 in 
this city. He is the oldest member of the county 
bar, and is in active practice. In all enterprises 
affecting the local welfare he has been influential 
on the side of progress and improvement, and 
many an infant industry or institution has he fos- 
tered and aided. 

One Captain Skillman came to America with 
the English forces in 1664, and assisted in the 
capture of New Amsterdam (now New York) 
from the Dutch, and afterwards settled in Long 
Island. From that doughty soldier the subject 
of this article is descended. The grandfather of 
Charles A. was Cornelius Skillman, who owned 
a valuable homestead in Mercer County, N. J., 



i66. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



early in this century. Abraham, father of our 
subject, was born on that farm in 1802, and when 
he arrived at maturity was occupied in the man- 
agement of the place. He belonged to a company 
of light horse, and was one of the body-guard 
detailed to attend General La Fayette on his trip 
from Princeton to Trenton. His sword, worn 
upon this memorable occasion, is now the prop- 
erty of Charles A. Skillmau. The Skillmans 
were Whigs and members of the Dutch Reformed 
Church in the early days. 

The birth of C. A. Skillman took place in Hope- 
well, N. J., December 16, 1S27. In 1848 he 
graduated from Princeton College. He then 
turned his attention to the study of law, reading 
under the direction of Hon. William Halstead, 
of Trenton, N. J., and was admitted to the bar 
in 1851. The following year he opened an office 
for practice in Lambertville, where he has since 
made his home and place of business. In 1858 
he was appointed prosecuting attorney of Hunter- 
don County, and filled the position for five years 
with great credit to himself. For years he has 
been solicitor for the Belvidere division of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad Company; for a quarter 
of a century was secretary of the Lambertville Gas 
Company, and is a director and the treasurer of the 
Lambertville Water Power Company, capitalized 
at $50,000; and is president of the Lambertville 
City Water Company, which furnishes water for 
domestic purposes and to the fire department. 
Frequently he has served as city solicitor and as 
president of the council. Since the Republican 
party was formed he has been loyal to its princi- 
ples. From the beginning to its successful ter- 
mination Mr. Skillman was connected with a 
local building and loan association, which did 
much for our citizens and helped to place this 
town in a prosperous condition. In the estima- 
tion of his professional brethren, his opinion is 
acknowledged as having weight, for he has read 
deeply in almost every department of jurispru- 
dence, and is qualified by wide and varied expe- 
rience. In 1853 he joined the Masonic order, 
and for a long period has been president of the 
board of directors, having charge of the financial 



operations of the lodge here. Over twenty years 
he has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church 
and active in its work. 

In 1854 Mr. Skillman married Sarah A. Skill- 
man, of Ringoes, N. J., and they have three 
children. One daughter is the wife of James S. 
Studdiford, teller in the Lambertville National 
Bank; another daughter is married to Samuel W. 
Cochran, a druggist of this place, and the only 
son, Hervey, is in business in Philadelphia. 



1m 



HENRY EUGENE PARK. During a period 
of over twenty years this gentleman, now 
serving in the capacity of county clerk of 
Hunterdon County, has occupied public positions 
to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. He 
has been a worker in the Democratic party of 
western New Jersey and has frequently attended 
its conventions and aided in its councils. In 1876, 
and again in the following } r ear, he was elected 
assessor of Tewkesbury Township. In 1882 and 
1883 he was elected a freeholder from the same 
locality; in 1S85 was appointed deputy collector 
of internal revenues and in 1887 was reappointed 
to this office with additional territory under his 
jurisdiction. In November, 1893, he was honored 
further by being elected county clerk of this his 
home county, his term to run until November, 
1898. He received a good majority and was the 
popular choice. 

A son of Col. James and Maria Park, our sub- 
ject was born near New Germantown, Hunterdon 
County, August 1, 1848. He was educated in the 
public schools of his native town and in Monroe- 
ton, Pa. In 1867 he commenced the study of 
dentistry with Dr. Charles H. Dayton, of New 
Germantown, remaining with him for two years. 
Then, in 1869, he went into business in New 
York City with his former preceptor, Dr. Dayton, 
and succeeded very well from the first. Sub- 
sequently he practiced in Somerville, N. J., and 
then returned to his native count}-. Here he 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



167 



not only has given much time to the practice of 
dentistry, but has also engaged in farming to some 
extent, dealing in live stock, raising and shipping 
peaches in season, etc. Fraternally he is identi- 
fied with the Odd Fellows' society. 

February 5, 1873, Mr. Park married Miss Anna 
L. Bell, daughter of John J. and Caroline Bell, of 
Hackettstown, N. J. 



3 ROSS LAKE. On the corner of Belvidere 
avenue and Church street, in Washington, 
stands the New Windsor Hotel, of which 
Mr. Lake is the proprietor. The hotel is one of 
the best in the county. It contains about forty 
rooms, lighted by electricity, heated by steam, 
and equipped with all modern improvements. 
The wide piazzas and large grounds give it a 
homelike appearance that at once attracts the 
traveler. Two free busses run between the hotel 
and the depot. Much of the popularity of the 
place is due to the proprietor, who is a model 
landlord, accommodating and agreeable, striving 
in every way possible to secure the comfort of 
his guests. 

Born in Delaware Township, Hunterdon 
County, N. J., April 22, 1848, our subject is the 
second son of Jacob and Sarah (Ross) Lake. 
His father, who was born in Hunterdon County 
in 1808, was a successful farmer and also took a 
deep interest and active part in the affairs of this 
county. In politics he was a Democrat and by 
this party he was elected to a number of local 
offices. He died in 1880, when he was seventy- 
three years of age. His wife, who still survives, 
was born in Pennsylvania and now resides with 
her sons J. Ross and W. Howard, dividing her 
time between them. Her older son, M. Harris, 
resides at Copper Hill, N. J., and is proprietor of 
the wheelwright and carriage works there. 

In the common schools of Hunterdon County 
and Locktown Academy our subject obtained his 
education. At the age of nineteen he embarked 



in the mercantile business at Lambertville, N. J., 
where he remained for five years, and then went 
to Philadelphia. For sixteen years he was con- 
nected with the well-known firm of Strawbridge 
& Clothier, in that city. From 1884 to 1888 he 
was in the railroad postal service. In 1894 he 
came to Washington and began the management 
of the New Windsor Hotel, of which he hassince 
been the head. Fraternally he is connected with 
Mansfield Lodge No. 36, F. & A. M., at Wash- 
ington. 

The marriage of Mr. Lake took place in 1880 
and united him with Miss Martha Thomas, an 
estimable lady, and the daughter of Jonathan 
Thomas, who for many years was a successful 
business man in Montgomery County, Pa., but 
now makes his home with his daughter at the New 
Windsor Hotel. Though now eighty-nine years 
of age, he retains the use of his mental faculties, 
is hale and heart}', and always cheerful and 
pleasant. The oidy daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Lake is Emily Thomas Lake, who is now attend- 
ing school in Hackettstown, N. J., and is being 
given excellent educational advantages. 



" LIAS C. SEVERS is one of the most lion- 
's ored residents of Alexandria Township, 
mmm Hunterdon County, within whose bound- 
aries he has made his home since he was a lad 
of seven years. He is the owner of a very desir- 
able homestead, which he takes pride in keeping 
in a thrifty condition, and by his neighbors and 
friends he is considered to be very practical and 
methodical in all his business transactions. He 
is a model citizen, his influence always being 
given, as far as he knows, to the cause of right, 
law and order, and all worthy measures can be 
sure of his support. 

The father of the above-named gentleman was 
Manuel Severs, who was born near the town of 
Clinton, in Union Township, this county. There 
he spent his early days, coming to this township 



1 68 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.- 



about 1852. Buying the Matthews property near 
Mount Pleasant, he proceeded to cultivate and 
improve the place during the rest of his life. He 
followed the shoe-makers' trade for twenty-two 
years, making a good living in that manner, and 
subsequently he decided that he would retire to 
the quiet life of a farmer. In this direction as 
well he met with success. In politics he was 
affiliated with the Republican party. For several 
years he was secretary and collector for the 
Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and 
in other ways he was before the public, always 
showing ability and genuine talent in the man- 
agement of finances. He died when about 
seventy-eight years of age. Religiously he was 
a devout Presbyterian, and held membership 
with the same church which our subject and 
family now attend. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Mary Young, she having been the 
daughter of William Young. Their marriage 
was blessed with two sons, Levi and Elias C. 
Mrs. Severs was seventy-two years old when 
death released her from her earthly cares and 
toils. She was also a faithful member of the 
Presbyterian Church. The grandfather of our 
subject was Abram Severs, a native of this 
county, and his father was born in England, 
came to this country at an early day, and located 
in Clinton, 

Elias C. Severs was born in the neighborhood 
of Clinton in 1845, and there resided until he was 
seven years old, then coming to Alexandria 
Township with the other members of the family. 
Since he was large enough to handle farm imple- 
ments he has been actively occupied in the culti- 
vation of the soil, and by his industry and well- 
directed efforts he has made a comfortable liveli- 
hood for his family. He has been interested to 
a certain extent in raising peaches and fruit for 
the city markets, and derives a good income from 
dairying. He is an active Republican, and is 
now a member of the board of registration. For 
a quarter of a century he has been an elder in the 
Presbyterian Church, and for thirty years he has 
been superintendent of the Sunday-school. In 
all his relations with his fellow-men he seeks to 



be true, just and kind, not selfish or ready to 
take an advantage of another, but endeavoring to 
follow the teachings of the Golden Rule. 

In 1868 occurred one of the great events in the 
life of our subject, for in that year he chose for 
his companion and counsellor, helper and friend 
along the remainder of his journey the lady who 
still shares his joys and sorrows and to whose 
love and sympathy he attributes a large measure 
of his success in life. Her girlhood name was 
Cora Rapp, her parents being Philip and Eleanor 
(Ruth) Rapp. Mr. and Mrs. Severs have one 
child, Carrie, who is the wife of Herbert B. 
Weller, of Mount Pleasant, N. J. 



*^fe 



"3 IDEON MOORE, an honored citizen of Hun- 
_ terdon County, is a prosperous merchant of 
,_J Stockton, keeping a general stock of gro- 
ceries, boots, shoes, etc. For the past thirty 
years he has been engaged in farming and sur- 
veying and for twenty years occupied the respon- 
sible position of commissioner of deeds. In his 
political faith he is a stanch Republican, and 
during the '60s was elected to his first official 
post, that of township superintendent of public 
schools. The good of the public has ever been 
his chief aim, and in each place that he has held 
he has endeavored to forward the interests of his 
fellow-men. 

The father of the above, Asa Moore, was born 
in this township in 1806, and here grew to matur- 
ity. He early turned his attention to agriculture 
and in time became one of the most prosperous 
farmers in his section. He was a sou of Gideon 
and Catherine (Yorks) Moore, the former a na- 
tive of New Jersey, of German descent. Asa 
Moore married Mary, daughter of John and 
Elizabeth White. She was born in 179S in what 
is now Kingwood Township, and there was reared 
to womanhood and married. 

Gideon Moore of this sketch was born on the 
parental homestead in this township, November 




D. C. BLAIR. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



171 



19, 1836, and acquired his education in the com- 
mon schools, and later in Madison University, of 
Hamilton, N. Y., and Trenton Academy. Hav- 
ing thus become thoroughly equipped for those 
days, he commenced his career as a teacher, and 
during the following eight years very success- 
fully conducted schools in this count}'. After- 
wards he settled down to the uneventful routine 
of farming, and was thus engrossed until he 
opened his present store in 1896. Of his three 
sisters only one is now living, viz. : Catherine, 
the widow of Jacob C. Johnson. 

In 1864 Mr. Moore married Elizabeth Sutton, 
whose parents were Jonas and Mary (Bessou) 
Sutton, of this township. Five children came to 
bless their hearthstone, but three of the number 
have been summoned to the silent land. Theo- 
dore S., a practical business man, is married and 
has one child. He is at present engaged in well 
drilling. Mary E., the only daughter, is the 
wife of Frank Whitlock. 



-4 — S £3^®|$|i0®£*e-) «— -f- 



EWITT CLINTON BLAIR. This honored 
*\ citizen of Belvidere is vice-president of the 
(*} Belvidere National Bank, owns a beautiful 
summer home here and has always been very act- 
ive in the support of all enterprises of a character 
calculated to accrue to the lasting benefit of this 
place and vicinity. From his youth he has been 
noted for his genuine patriotism and unselfish de- 
votion to his country, and in times of peace and 
war alike he has ever been ready to do every- 
thing in his power for the land of his birth. 

A son of the railroad magnate and financier, 
John I. Blair, in whose honor Blairstown, War- 
ren County, was named, the subject of this sketch 
was born and reared in the place just referred to. 
The date of his birth is September 6, 1833. When 
he had completed his elementary education he en- 
tered Blair Hall, preparatory to his course in 
Princeton College, which followed. He gradu- 
ated from that well-known institution of learning 



in 1856, and soon thereafter took up the study of 
law with J. G. Shipman, whose history appears 
upon another page of this volume, and to whose 
guiding care and kindly encouragement many of 
the leading members of the New Jersey bar of to- 
day owe much of their standing in the profession. 

Later Mr. Blair continued his legal studies in 
the law school of Harvard University, and upon 
returning home in 1858 was admitted to the bar 
of this, his native county, and opened an office 
for practice in Belvidere. Two years passed 
away, and he established himself in practice in 
New York City, and had just obtained a good 
start when the war broke out. In April, 1861, 
he was one of the first to respond to the presi- 
dent's call for volunteers. He went zealously to 
work and soon had rallied around himself one 
hundred men, brave and true, and at his own ex- 
pense he took them to Trenton and offered their 
services and his own to the governor. The con- 
tingent happened to be full at that time, and the 
governor was obliged to refuse them, and there- 
fore Mr. Blair once more took the company over 
the ground, returning them to their homes at his 
own expense. Personally, though, he was not 
to be put off, as he had determined that he should 
offer himself upon the altar of his country's liber- 
ties, to fight for her, and if need be, die in de- 
fense of the stars and stripes. He therefore went 
to New York City and enlisted in the Twenty- 
second Regiment of the state troops for nine 
months' service. The regiment was first ordered 
to the metropolis, to prevent it from meeting with 
violence from rioters and mobs. Later, when at 
Harper's Ferry, he and some of his comrades 
came very near being captured by Stonewall 
Jackson and his command. 

Upon the expiration of his term of enlistment 
Mr. Blair found that his law library had been 
stolen and his personal effects scattered, and the 
result was, for that and some other reasons super- 
added, he concluded to abandon his profession 
and enter the banking business. He is now a 
partner in the extensive banking house of Blair 
& Company, of No. 33 Wall Street, New York. 
His father, John I. Blair, is president of the Bel- 



172 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



videre National Bank, and he has been the vice- 
president of the same for the past twenty years. 
He is also interested extensively in railroad en- 
terprises. 

While Mr. Blair claims his residence in New 
Jersey and spends most of his time at Belvidere, 
he owns a home in New York City, spending his 
winters there. The lady who gracefully presides 
over the hospitalities of his home was formerly 
Miss Mary A. Kimball, and they were married 
in 1863. Their two children are: C. Ledyard, a 
member of the New York firm of Blair & Com- 
pany, and John Insley, a graduate from Princeton 
College in the class of 1898. 



HON. JOHNSTON CORNISH. Both through 
his connection with one of the most promi- 
nent business enterprises of Washington 
and through his influence in public affairs, Mr. 
Cornish has become one of the most noted men in 
Warren County. In his character may be found 
two widely differing traits, a genius for directing 
large enterprises and perseverance in superintend- 
ing matters of detail. While he has naturally 
been desirous to secure financial success, yet his 
has not been a selfish life, but his services have 
been at the command of his fellow-citizens and 
plans for the advancement of town or county 
have received his fostering support. It is not 
strange, therefore, that he has gained the good 
will and confidence of those with whom he has 
been brought into contact. 

The ability displayed by Mr. Cornish is his by 
inheritance, for his father is a man of far more 
than ordinary intelligence and enterprise. Joseph 
B. Cornish, the founder of the Cornish organ and 
piano works in Washington, was born in Hunter- 
don County, N. J., where he spent his early 
years. For some time he was engaged in the 
mercantile business in Washington, but during 
the '70s he took charge of the organ and piano 
manufactory, and through his energy and judg- 



ment the business has become a large and profit- 
able one. The main building of the factory is 
150x400 feet in dimensions and four stories in 
height. Steady employment is furnished to four 
hundred hands, and it speaks volumes for the 
manner in which these employes have been 
treated when we say that during all these years 
there has never been a strike in the factory. 
The pianos and organs are sold in all parts of the 
United States, and also in Asia, Europe, Africa 
and South America. Business ability seems to 
be a family trait, for Joseph B. Cornish, Sr. , 
grandfather of our subject, was also a successful 
business man, being a merchant and tanner in 
Hunterdon County. 

Born in Bethlehem, N. J., in 1857, the subject 
of this review was reared at the family home in 
Hunterdon County and received his education in 
the schools here and in those of Warren County, 
completing his studies in the commercial college 
at Easton, Pa. At the age of twenty-one he was 
taken into partnership by his father and has ever 
since been connected with the works. Tike his 
father, he is a strong adherent of the Democratic 
party. He has served as mayor of Washington, 
in which capacity he promoted the municipal in- 
terests and fostered plans for local advancement. 
From 1889 to 189 1 he served as a member of the 
state senate, during which time he was a mem- 
ber of a number of the important committees aud 
took an active part in promoting measures for 
the benefit of the state and the increased pros- 
perity of the people. In 1892, shortly after the 
close of his term of service as senator, he was 
elected to congress. In that body, as in other 
positions of less importance, his support was 
always given to public-spirited measures, and 
the nation had in him a patriotic and progress- 
ive official. Since his retirement from con- 
gress he has devoted his attention to the man- 
agement of the business with which he has been 
so long connected. 

In 1885 occurred the marriage of Mr. Cornish 
to Miss Margaret Banker, of New York. They 
are the parents of one son, Joseph B., Jr., who 
is now twelve years of age. Fraternally Mr. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



173 



Cornish has attained a high degree in the Ma- 
sonic order, and he is also a member of the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of 
Pythias, the Order of Red Men and the Elks. 
In religious connections he is identified with the 
First Presbyterian Church of Washington. 



RUSLING S. HOPPOCK. Though now en- 
gaged in farming, Mr. Hoppock considers 
that his principal occupation in life has been 
that of a teacher. For twenty-three successive 
years he was employed as an instructor in the 
public schools of Hunterdon County, and during 
nine years of that time he was a teacher in his 
own district in Alexandria Township. He taught 
in the Milford school for five years, being prin- 
cipal there during the first three years. He was 
unusually successful in school work, having the 
power to interest his pupils even in the driest of 
text-books, which under his intelligent presenta- 
tion were given life and meaning. Retiring 
from school work in 1893, he turned his attention 
to farming, which he has since followed. 

In Mount Pleasant, where he has resided for the 
past thirty years, Mr. Hoppock was born in 1839. 
His father, Joseph Hoppock, was born in Dela- 
ware Township in 1809 and settled in Alexandria 
Township when a young man, locating near 
Hickory, where he spent the remainder of his 
life except its last few years. As a farmer he was 
enterprising and successful and was well and 
favorably known throughout the county. He 
took great interest in church work and was for 
years a deacon in the Christian Church at Little- 
york. His death occurred in 1883, when he was 
seventy-four years of age. He was a son of 
Joseph Hoppock, Sr., who resided upon a farm 
in Delaware Township until his death. 

The mother of our subject, Lareiue, was a 
daughter of Johnson and Permelia (Mettler) 
Runyan. Like her husband, she held member- 
ship in the Christian Church. At the time of 



her death, in 1894, she was eighty-five years of 
age. Three children were born to her, namely: 
Permelia, deceased; Rusling S. ; and Mary Jane, 
the widow of Nelson Halsey. Our subject was 
educated in the public schools of this part of the 
county. Before he was eighteen 3'ears of age he 
commenced to teach and this profession he fol- 
lowed for twenty-three years, retiring about 1893 
to engage in farming. In politics he is a Re- 
publican. He was elected justice of the peace 
and served for five years. Under the adminis- 
tration of President Garfield he was appointed 
postmaster at Mount Pleasant and held the office 
for eight consecutive years and again for four 
years under President Harrison. For several 
years he was a trustee of the schools and he was 
also president of the Hunterdon County Teachers' 
Association for some time. 

In 1862 Mr. Hoppock was united in marriage 
with Miss Sarah E. Romine, daughter of Asa and 
Sarah (Fulper) Romine. Two children, both 
daughters, were born to bless their union. Anna 
Lillie, the elder of these, is the wife of Harmon 
K. Wright. Lizzie, the younger daughter, is at 
home wdth her parents. The family are identi- 
fied with the Christian Church, to the work of 
which Mr. Hoppock has been a generous con- 
tributor. 



UILLIUS FORMAN. Though over a quar- 
^ ter of a century has swiftly rolled away 
(*) since the death of this worthy man his mem- 
ory is still tenderly enshrined in the hearts of a 
wide circle of friends and relatives. The}' recall 
with pleasure his noble deeds and words, his pre- 
cept and example, whereby all who came within 
the radius of his influence were uplifted and un- 
consciously, perhaps, made better. In the sum- 
ming up of men's lives, only this remains, only 
this is enduring — the character, and the good ac- 
complished in the world. Riches and honor are 
naught in a short space of time and when a few 
decades have passed all is forgotten save the 



J 74 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



goodness of a man and the influence he exerted 
on his generation for the promotion of the true 
and right and the overthrow of the powers of 
darkness. 

Mr. Forman was a native of Hunterdon 
County and spent nearly his whole life within its 
boundaries. His birthplace was near Pittstown, 
and the date of the event was June 23, 1812. 
His father was Robert Forman, a respected citi- 
zen and farmer of Alexandria Township. Our 
subject was reared upon the parental homestead, 
which was situated in the neighborhood of the 
little village then known as Littletown. He had 
one brother and three sisters, viz. : Mortimer, 
Mary, Sydney and Elizabeth. Their mother was 
a Miss Rakestraw in her girlhood. 

In his youth Duillius Forman was a pupil in 
the public schools, and being naturally bright 
and quick to learn, he soon mastered all that was 
taught in the district schools of the period. While 
quite young he went away from home to Easton, 
Pa., where he had a cousin, and this relative em- 
ployed him in his general store as a clerk for 
some time. Eater he went to Eambertville, 
where he was engaged in merchandising for a 
number of years, meeting with success. While 
a resident of the town he was thoroughly identi- 
fied with its best interests, and was active in all 
public enterprises looking toward the good of the 
people. He held membership with the Presbyte- 
rian Church of the place, and contributed liber- 
ally of his time, influence and means to the work 
of the church and charities. The last four years 
of his life were passed in Williamsport, Pa., 
whither he removed his business about 1857. 
While in the midst of his busiest and seemingly 
most useful period of manhood, death called him 
to the silent land, at the age of forty-nine 5'ears. 

In 1852 Mr. Forman married Margaret C. , 
daughter of John Duckworth, and three children 
were born to them. Only one of them is still 
living, viz. : William, whose wife was formerly 
Mary E. Rittenhouse, she being a daughter of 
William Rittenhouse, a well and favorably known 
citizen of this county. The young couple have 
one child, Mabel M. The widow of our subject is 



a lady who is honored and loved by all who 
know her, and she is now making her home 
with her only surviving child, William, in the 
town of Milford. John Duckworth, father of Mrs. 
Forman, was one of the most influential men of 
this community, Milford, in his time. He ma- 
terially assisted in the establishment of the Bel- 
videre Delaware Railroad, which runs through 
this place, and has been of untold benefit to 
this section. He was a member of the com- 
mittee who were authorized to purchase land 
from farmers and owners for the road and was 
very active in getting everything in running 
order. All local interests received his encour- 
agement and no member of the Milford Chris- 
tian Church was held in higher esteem than he. 
For many years he was the clerk of the church, 
and in its various departments he was a hard 
worker, zealous for the plea of unceremonial, 
primitive, genuine Christianity. His faithful 
companion and helpmate along life's journey was 
Hannah, daughter of John and Mary M. (Mil- 
leck) Hulsizer. Of the nine children who came 
to cheer their hearthstone but three are 5'et 
living: Caroline, widow of Samuel Teets; Sa- 
rah, widow of A. J. Farrand; and Mrs. For- 
man. The parents of her father were John and 
Mary (Wolverton) Duckworth. 



SHRISTIE B. SNYDER has been deputy 
surrogate of Warren County since 1894 and 
is making a good record as an official. In 
the political field he has been active and inter- 
ested, doing efficient service in behalf of the 
Republican party. The cause of education finds 
in him a sincere champion and devoted friend, 
and in 1890 and again in 1894 ne was elected to 
be a member of the Phillipsburg Board of Educa- 
tion, he being then a resident of that city. 

Our subject is a native of Elizabethport, Union 
County, N. J., his birth having taken place 
March 24, i860. His father, Benedict Snyder, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



r 75 



of Mannheim, Germany, came to America in 
1842, and settled in the town of Elizabethport, 
N. J. At that time he followed the occupation 
of gardening, but ere long he obtained a position 
with the New Jersey Central Railroad Company, 
and continued in their employ for many years. 
He was an honest, industrious man, a good pro- 
vider for his family and kind and courteous to 
all with whom he came into contact. His death 
occurred in December, 1895. His wife, who is 
still living, is now about sixty years of age, and 
was born in Germany, a daughter of an influen- 
tial man there, who, among other offices, held 
that of sheriff for years. Her maiden name was 
Christiana Paulman. Of the thirteen children 
born to Benedict and Christiana Snyder all but 
three are living at the date of this writing. 

From the time that he arrived at suitable years 
until he was sixteen, C. B. Snyder was a student 
in the public schools of Phillipsburg, whither his 
parents had removed with the family about 1866. 
He was fortunate in obtaining a position as store- 
keeper for the New Jersey Central Railroad Com- 
pany and later learned the trade of a machinist, 
which he followed for some fourteen years. Fra- 
ternally he belongs to the Uniform Rank of the 
Knights of Pythias. March 24, 1S83, he mar- 
ried Ida Griggs, and of the four children born to 
them, one sou and one daughter alone remain, 
viz. : Clarence D. and Elva J. Mrs. Snyder's 
father is Henry Griggs, a highly respected citizen 
of Johusonburg, Warren County, N. J. 



^JEORGE A. ANGEE, prosecutor of the pleas 

a of Warren County, was appointed to this 
responsible position in the spring of 1896 by 
Governor Griggs, and enjoys the distinction of 
being the first Republican who has held the 
office for a long period of years. He has been 
very active in the support of the principles and 
candidates of the party, frequently making stir- 
ring and eloquent campaign speeches, and being 



sent as a delegate to conventions. He is popular 
in Belvidere, where he has been engaged in prac- 
tice for several years, and was elected by a good 
majority to act as mayor of the place in 1890, 
which office he held three years, giving entire 
satisfaction. 

The father of the above, Richard Angle, was 
born in Brooklyn, N. Y. He was a farmer by 
occupation, and removed with his family to War- 
ren County, N. J., when he was a youth. He 
was a man of most exemplary character, and left 
to his children that best of all legacies — a name 
above reproach. From his boyhood he was con- 
nected with the Methodist Church, being very 
active in its various departments of usefulness. 
He held the office of steward and was also super- 
intendent of the Sunday-school for a period. 
His death occurred in November, 1892. His 
wife, Catherine, is a daughter of John De Pue, 
and is a distant relative of the renowned Judge 
De Pue. She is still living, being about three- 
score and ten years of age. They had two chil- 
dren. The daughter, Elizabeth, is the wife of 
John C. Amey, a merchant of Belvidere. 

George A. Angle was born in Rocksburgh, 
Warren County, N. J., September 9, 1853, and re- 
ceived his early education in the public schools of 
that locality. Eater he became a student at Pen- 
nington Seminary, at Pennington, N. J., and was 
prepared for college by i the well-known Dr. 
Knighton, of Belvidere. In 1872 he entered 
Eafayette College, in Easton, Pa., and graduated 
therefrom in 1876 with the degree of Bachelor of 
Arts. Three years afterward the same college 
bestowed upon him the additional degree of Mas- 
ter of Arts. Next he took up legal studies and 
was guided in his work by the late J. G. Ship- 
man, and since being admitted to the bar in 1879 
he has been steadily occupied in practice. His 
knowledge of the law is profound, his judgments 
accurate, his pleading logical, and his insight 
into the motives and springs of human conduct 
unusually keen. He is a financier of no small 
ability, and in everything that effects the general 
welfare he is active and interested. One of the 
organizers and now a director in the Warren 



176 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Wood-working Company, his influence and means 
have been used to materially promote that indus- 
try, and in other directions he has been of great 
value. For years he has been a pillar in the 
local Methodist Church and one of the trustees, 
at this writing being secretary and treasurer of 
the board. 

In November, 1891, Mr. Angle married, in 
New Haven, Conn., Nettie, daughter of Ira T. 
Smith. They have two children, a son and 
daughter, named respectively, Gertrude De Pue 
and Richard S. 



Gl NDREW T. CONNET. Among the reli- 
j 1 able business men of Flemington, Hunter- 
/ I don County, is this sterling citizen, who 
has been a resident of this town and thoroughly 
identified with the best interests of the place since 
before the war. A patriot in the truest sense, he 
has stood by his country in times of peace as well 
as in her hour of especial need, during the war. 
The soldier boys who wore the blue are very dear 
to his heart, and in 1 880 he was one of the first to 
encourage the organization of a post of the Grand 
Army here, and it was duly chartered that year, 
himself being chosen as its first commander. 

A native of this state, Mr. Connet was born in 
the town now known as Brookside, in Morris 
County, February 4, 1842. His father, Samuel, 
was also born in that county, and though he was 
a mason by trade, he was occupied in saw-milling 
in partnership with his brother for years. He 
was an old-line Whig, and later a Republican. 
To himself and wife, who was Hannah Thomp- 
son prior to their marriage, nine children were 
born, of whom five survive. Ellen A. is the 
wife of W. H. Post, of Batavia, N. Y. John is 
an attorney in Flemington. Sarah is the wife of 
Peter S. Hyler, a farmer of Raritau Township. 
Charles conducts the home farm in Reading- 
ton Township. When he was but six years of 
age our subject removed with his parents to Les- 



ser Cross-roads, and three years later to Reading- 
ton Township, this county. He grew to man- 
hood there, gaining a public-school education. 

In starting out on his business career Mr. Con- 
net took a position as a clerk in a mercantile 
house in Readington, N. J., and afterwards was 
for a year and a-half in a similiar place in Somer- 
ville. In i860 he went to Flemington and en- 
gaged with Davis & Coon as a clerk. Upon the 
breaking out of the war he was one of the first 
to respond to the call of his country for aid, and 
though but nineteen years old, enlisted for the 
three months' service in Company H, Third Regi- 
ment of New Jersey. In the following 5'ear he 
re-enlisted in Company D, Thirty-first Regiment, 
as a private and was made an orderly. Decem- 
ber 25 of that year he was commissioned lieu- 
tenant, which office he held until June 24, 1863. 
During his first enlistment his regiment was de- 
tailed to guard the provision train at the battle 
of Bull Run, and participated in the rout. In 
the engagement of Chancellorsville, in which six- 
teen thousand Union men were lost, he was act- 
ively engaged as a member of the Thirty-first 
Regiment. 

Returning to Flemington from the southern 
battlefields Mr. Connet was in the employ of 
Anderson & Nevius for a year, after which he en- 
tered into partnership with Maj. A. V. Bonuell, 
in the hardware business. In 1866 he and W. 
H. Fulper bought out the firm of Anderson & 
Nevius, for whom he had formerly worked, and 
for many years, in connection with Messrs. Fulper- 
Nevius & Anderson, he was engaged in the mer- 
cantile business in Flemington. January 1, 1895, 
he entered the wholesale produce business in 
Flemington, in connection with W. E. Trewin. 
Since then he has been occupied in conducting 
this large enterprise. In January, 1897, he pur- 
chased his partner's interest and is now carrying 
on the concern alone. He was a bookkeeper in 
the Hunterdon County National Bank for six 
years, from 1876 to 1882. For about twenty 
years he has represented leading fire and life in- 
surance companies. In 1S88 he started the rais- 
ing of poultry on the fine farm which he owns in 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



177 



Readington Township, using incubators and the 
most approved modern methods. He has been 
very successful and now has a large plant. In 
politics he is a Republican. Fraternally he be- 
longs to Darcy Dodge No. 37, F. & A. M.; 
Flemington Lodge No. 94, I. O. O. F., and Lam- 
bert Boeman Post No. 48, G. A. R., of the latter 
having been the quartermaster for many years. 
In May, 1866, Mr. Connet married Joanna S. 
Nevius, daughter of Abraham D. and Mary K. 
Nevius. They have had four children, one of 
whom is deceased. Frederick N. is a mechanical 
engineer and designer in Providence, R. I. Earle 
T. is a resident of New York; and Hugh Irving 
is at home. The only daughter, Joanna N., 
died when twelve years old. Mr. and Mrs. Con- 
net are members of the Presbyterian Church, and 
the former enjoys the honor of having held the 
office of elder continuously for a longer term of 
3^ears than any other member of the congrega- 
tion. 

- ' ■ - >~ -■♦'■^; i 'i^5.'K«-C:'»— ~* — '— — 



q) CURSON YOUNG, M. D. Probably few 
__ of the citizens of Washington are better 
J known in other parts of the state and country 
than the gentleman whose name introduces this 
sketch. His professional knowledge is extensive 
and thorough, and in addition to his large private 
practice he held the chair of physiology in the 
Eclectic Medical College of New York City. He 
is also of an inventive turn of mind, and patented 
the automatic mechanical railroad block system 
that has attracted considerable attention. Re- 
cently he completed a patent called the car sash 
lifter and lock, which is intended to raise win- 
dows in railroad cars or residences, and is so con- 
structed that by turning a little knob on the side 
of the car the window can be raised with ease and 
held at any height. The Pullman Car Company 
are negotiating for the patent, which, if intro- 
duced, will be a great convenience to the travel- 
ing public, who have for years rebelled at the 
present very unsatisfactory method. 



A native of the county of Cambridge, England, 
born in 1840, Dr. Young was educated at Rugby 
and Eton, and studied medicine at Edinburgh, 
Scotland, and Leeds, England. For nine months 
he was employed in Guy's hospital and for six 
months was in St. Bartholomew's, London, after 
which he made a tour of Europe, visiting hospi- 
tals in various cities. From Europe he proceeded 
to Palestine, where he spent nine months in Jeru- 
salem and other historic spots of the Holy Land. 
Thence he went to Egypt, where he investigated 
points of historic interest in Cairo, Alexandria and 
other places. He visited Athens, once the seat of 
learning and the centre of the literary world ; and 
Rome, once the proud mistress of the earth. He 
returned to England in 1870 and on the 21st of 
June set sail for America, where he spent some 
time in the large cities, but decided to establish 
his home in Washington, N. J. Here, and in 
Port Jervis and New York City, he has practiced 
his profession. 

The literary work of Dr. Young is of an im- 
portant nature. Among his professional writings 
are "Climatical Changes and Diseases," "Life, 
Health and Disease," "Therapeutics in Nature," 
"Puerperal Mania," "The Loneliness of Genius," 
"Physiology for the People," and "Mortality, or 
Death without Pain. ' ' He is also the author of 
an "Ancient and Modern History of the Order of 
Knights of Malta," or "The Order of St. John 
of Jerusalem of Cyprus, Rhodes and Malta," with 
a complete account of their institution in the year 
1048, and of their exploits and achievements, in 
consecutive order to the year 1897, embracing all 
the events connected with this illustrious order in 
the Holy Land, Syria, Europe and America, 
illustrated with maps, charts, cuts and portraits; 
published in two volumes. 

Dr. Young is proud of the fact that his father 
and grandfather were members of the Order of 
Knights of Malta. He himself joined Clermont 
Commandery No. 62, at Phillipsburg, N. J., in 
1889, and in 1892 organized Siloam Commandery 
No. 124, at Washington. He was made Grand 
Commander of New Jersey and has done much 
for the order in this state. He is an active worker 



1 7 8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Peter the Hermit and occupies a chair in the 
Sovereign Priory. His work on the order re- 
quired years of research and careful study, both 
in Europe, Asia and Africa. To facilitate his 
studies he recently purchased, at great cost, two 
large volumes that were shipped to him from 
England. For five years he has been editor of 
the Red Cross Knight, the journal of the order. 
He is also a member of the Sons of St. George 
and the Knights and Ladies of Honor. 

In 1861 Dr. Young married Miss Lydia Wood, 
daughter of Hon. Harry Wood, of England. 
They are the parents of four children. Rev. 
George H. Young, who is rector of the Episcopal 
Church of Belvidere, N. J., is represented else- 
where in this volume. Samuel McCauley Young 
resides in Washington and is engaged in business 
in New York City. Florence M. is the wife of 
John Thornton, of Washington ; and Grace A. is 
married and resides in New York City. In relig- 
ious belief the family are identified with the Prot- 
estant Episcopal Church. 



¥1 



RICHARD MCDOWELL, master mechanic of 
the Belvidere Division of the Pennsylvania 
Railway Company at Lambertville, Hun- 
terdon County, is a man who deserves the highest 
credit for the way in which he overcame the un- 
usually difficult obstacles that were in his path- 
way in the start of his career, and rose to a posi- 
tion that commands respect and admiration. 
Born in Dublin, Ireland, January 8, 1824, he is a 
son of Robert and Mary (Taft) McDowell, na- 
tives respectively of Scotland and Ireland. The 
father died when our subject was but four years 
old, and about four years later the mother came 
to America with her two children, locating near 
Crescentville, Philadelphia. 

Young McDowell had learned to read and 
write in the Emerald Isle, and, being an apt 
student, made rapid progress in the schools of 
this country. When he was about eighteen he 



began serving an apprenticeship to the mechanic's 
trade in Bridesburg, near the Quaker city. 
During this period, four years, he received low 
wages, but his pay gradually increased as he be- 
came more skillful. Though his mother had 
married again, they were poor, and the. 3'outh 
was resolved to be independent, and managed to 
pay his own way after leaving school. 

June 24, 1845, Richard McDowell married 
Elizabeth D. Jones, of Bridesburg. She was born 
in Wales, and with her parents came to the 
United States when about eight years old, in 
1832. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
McDowell, and three of the number died in child- 
hood. John Wallace, who is married and has 
two children, is an electrician in New York. 
Celia and Annie live at home. Harry is a jeweler 
in New York and Charles is a druggist in Yon- 
kers, N. Y. Both of the last-mentioned sons are 
married, but neither has children. 

Prior to his marriage, our subject had been en- 
gaged in the manufacture of machinery used in 
the weaving of cotton and wool into cloth, but, 
desiring wider experience and a knowledge of 
locomotive construction, he removed to Hazleton, 
Pa., where he worked for two years in the shops. 
Thence going to Philadelphia, he was in the 
steamship construction works about a year and a- 
half. The next few years he was employed as 
foreman in a locomotive manufactory in Trenton, 
N. J. On New Year's day, 1855, he came to 
Lambertville, where, after a few years of work in 
the machine shops he became master mechanic, 
which position he has ably filled ever since. 
Early in the old log-cabin campaign he became 
an enthusiastic worker in the Whig part}-, and in 
1856 he voted for John C. Fremont. Until Gen- 
eral Grant was strongly advocated for a third 
term in the presidential chair, he remained firm 
in his allegiance to the Republican part}-, but at 
that time renounced it, and has since been an 
ardent Democrat. He had the honor of being 
the first mayor of Lambertville after it was in- 
corporated as a city. He was then the Republi- 
can candidate, but, as he was elected, and as the 
city was undeniably Democratic in tendency, the 




JOHN C. JOHNSON, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



181 



inference is plain that man}- of the opposition 
voted for him from personal friendship and esteem 
for him, rather than to abide by their own party 
candidates. He has frequently been sent as a 
delegate to the conventions of his party. In re- 
ligious faith he is a Presbyterian, and holds 
membership with the church in this city. In 
1845 he became connected with the Odd Fellows, 
and has occupied all the chairs in the lodge. In 
addition to this society he is identified with the 
Masonic order. 



(JOHN C. JOHNSON, M. D. No one in the 
I medical fraternity of northern New Jersey is 
\Zs more highly honored or thoroughly respected 
and looked up to as an authority than the gentle- 
man whose name stands at the beginning of this 
sketch. For almost half a century a resident of 
Blairstown, Warren County, and for a similar 
period a medical practitioner of reputation for 
skill and genuine ability in his noble work, he is 
justly accounted one of the prominent citizens of 
this community, and is entitled to a place of 
honor in its annals. 

The doctor conies from an old and highly re- 
spected family in these parts. The Johnsons 
from whom he is descended were French- Hugue- 
nots (called Jansens) , who emigrated from France 
to Brussels and thence to Brooklyn, N. Y., and 
later removed to Hunterdon County, N. J., in 
the course of a generation or two. Henry John- 
son, great-grandfather of our subject, was an 
officer in the Revolutionary war, having the rank 
of quartermaster. He was a native of Hunter- 
don County, subsequentty removed to Sussex 
County, where he owned and carried on a farm 
near Newton until shortly before he died, at the 
advanced age of ninety years. He was an elder 
in and a prominent supporter of the First Pres- 
byterian Church of Newton in its beginning, and 
enjoyed the regard of everyone. His sou, Henry, 
the next in descent to the doctor, died when but 



fifty-two years old. He was born in Sussex 
County and was one of the early settlers in Johu- 
sonburg, where he was occupied in merchandis- 
ing for some time. 

The doctor's parents are William H. and Anna 
(Couse) Johnson. The father was born in Sus- 
sex Count}', and passed nearly his whole life in 
the town of Newton. In his active business life 
he was engaged in carrying on a store in that 
place, being ranked with the best and most sub- 
stantial citizens of the town. He was an ardent 
Whig, and was postmaster of Newton under the 
first President Harrison and again under Taylor. 
A faithful and consistent Christian, he exempli- 
fied in his early life the faith he professed, and it 
was ever one of his chief objects to lend a help- 
ing hand to those less fortunate than himself. 
He held membership with the Presbyterian 
Church. He died in his home in Newton, July 
9, 1S63, aged sixty-eight years. His wife, who 
was equally active in the Presbyterian Church, 
lived to attain her eighty-fifth year, her death 
taking place in Newton also. In her family 
there are five children who yet survive: Henry 
W. (twin brother of the doctor), cashier of the 
Dong Branch Banking Compaii}'; John C; Cathe- 
rine H.; Samuel, surrogate of Sussex County; 
and Mary, wife of William W. Woodward, a 
merchant of Newton. 

The birth of Dr. John C. Johnson occurred in 
Lewisburg, Sussex County, October 21, 1S28, 
and he grew to mature years in the pretty village 
of Newton. There he entered upon his studies, 
and having completed the general branches and 
his classical course in Newton Academy he took 
up medical study under the direction of Dr. John 
R. Stuart, of his home town. Later he attended 
lectures in the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons in New York City, graduating therefrom 
March 8, 1850, with the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine. June 3, 1850, he located permanently 
in Blairstown, and now enjoys the distinction of 
having been the longest engaged in practice here 
of any physician in the place. Indeed, with but 
two exceptions, he has been longer in active and 
uninterrupted practice than any of the medical 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



profession in Warren County, and since 1852 he 
has been a member of the Warren County Medical 
Society, in which he has served both as presi- 
dent and secretary. He is, moreover, a member 
and fellow of the Medical Society of New Jersey, 
and in 1867 was its president. In the Presbyte- 
rian Church he has been an active and valued 
member for many years. For thirty-four years 
he has acted in the capacity of an elder, besides 
serving in other positions, such as a trustee, 
etc. He is also a director in the Blair Presbyte- 
rial Academy. The only office he has filled was 
that of school trustee; he has never held a politi- 
cal position. He was first a Whig, afterward a 
Republican. 

January 15, 1862, Dr. Johnson married Anna 
L. Howell, daughter of John R. and Sarah 
(Armstrong) Howell. They have one child, a 
daughter, Sarah A. All the family hold mem- 
bership with the Presbyterian Church. 



30HN NEWTON LOWE, M. D. The medi- 
cal profession is one that in all ages and 
localities has called to its practice men of 
superior intelligence and depth of character. 
None else can succeed, for the profession demands 
men of brains and untiring perseverance. One 
of the well-known physicians of Milford is the 
subject of this article, who has had many years 
of experience in practice and has gained a 
thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of 
its every department and phase. For some years 
after entering upon the profession, he followed 
the regular school in his practice, but succeeding 
years of investigation and study led him to alter 
his views and to abandon the old school for the 
new, which he now practices. 

The office of Dr. Lowe is located at his home 
on North Main street. He settled in Milford 
April 1, 1870, coming here from Titusville, 
Mercer County, N. J., where he had practiced 
for several years. After graduating from the 



medical department of the University of New 
York in 1862 he followed the school of allopathy 
until 1865, since which time he has been a 
homeopathist. He has been highly successful 
and ranks among the foremost in his profession 
in the county of Hunterdon, which has been his 
life-long home. A man of broad education, cul- 
tured and well informed, he has the regard of all 
with whom professional or social relations have 
brought him into contact. 

Dr. Lowe's father, John J. Lowe, was a lead- 
ing farmer of his day in Hunterdon Count}'. 
Interested in public affairs, he was a man of 
influence among his neighbors. In 1830 he took 
the first census ever taken in the northern part of 
the county. He was especially devoted to re- 
ligious work and was an earnest member of the 
German Reformed Church. When in life's 
prime, at the age of forty, he was called from 
earth. The family of which he was a member 
dates back several generations in Hunterdon 
County, where his father, John Lowe, was born 
and where he died at eighty years of age. The 
mother of our subject was Catherine Conovers, 
daughter of Garrett and Margaret (Regan) Con- 
overs, and an active member of the Reformed 
Church. In her family there were eleven chil- 
dren and of these the doctor was seventh in order 
of birth. 



WILLIAM H. BARTLES, M. D., is living 
retired from the active duties that for 
years commanded his whole energies, and 
enjoys life in his beautifully appointed home in 
Flemington, Hunterdon County. Here he is 
surrounded by his books, music and the treas- 
ures collected during a lifetime, and here he 
takes great pleasure in extending hospitality to 
his numerous friends. He has ever taken great 
interest in the welfare of this town, for here the 
happy days of his boyhood were passed, and here 
he has returned to spend the remainder of his 
life. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The doctor is of direct German descent on the 
paternal side. His great-grandfather, while 
serving under Frederick the Great of Prussia, 
was captured by the French, but succeeded in 
making his escape from Paris, and came to 
America prior to the Revolutionary war. He was 
married in Philadelphia, but soon afterwards 
removed to New Germantown, Hunterdon 
County, where he engaged in manufacturing for 
several years. In 1793 he removed to what is 
now Bradford, N. Y. , and was there occupied in 
the flour and lumber trade. He built the first 
mills there and shipped his products down the 
Susquehanna River to Baltimore and other 
Atlantic or' sea-board cities. His son Andrew 
was the grandfather of the doctor. About 1790 
he was a farmer in the vicinity of New German- 
town. He married Catherine, daughter of John 
Plum, of New Brunswick, N. J. , a lieutenant in 
Washington's army during the Revolutionary 
war. Andrew was the father of eight children, 
of whom, Charles, born March 18, 1801, was the 
father of our subject. 

The birthplace of Charles Bartles was the old 
home of the family near New Germantown. He 
began his higher education under the tutelage of 
Rev. Ernest L- Hazelius, a well-known Lutheran 
minister, also studied under the direction of Rev. 
Dr. Studdiford, of Lesser Cross-roads, and Rev. 
Horace Galpin, of Lamington, N. J. September 
19, 1819, he was enrolled in the junior class in 
Union College, William H. Seward being in the 
senior class at that time. Mr. Bartles graduated 
in 1 82 1, and reached home on the twenty-first 
anniversary of his birth. He entered the law 
office of Nathaniel Saxton, where he spent four 
years in study, at the same time paying off the 
debt that he had incurred to complete his col- 
lege education. When twenty -five he was free 
of such incumbrance, but stood on the threshold 
of his future career without a dollar. The next 
fifteen months he taught school here, and as soon 
as he was admitted to the bar, which was in 
1824, he commenced practice. He succeeded 
from the start, and for thirty years gave himself 
up completely to his professional duties. 



In conjunction with the law, he began to make 
investments in real estate as earl}- as 1832, and 
from that time until i860 handled large tracts of 
property. In 1850 he became interested in rail- 
road matters and succeeded in securing the road 
that- gave direct communication with Philadel- 
phia. It was called the Flemington Railroad 
and he was president of the same until it was 
purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- 
pany. In 1854 he became a member of the firm 
of Reading, Fisher & Company, extensive manu- 
facturers of lumber and owners of large tracts of 
timberland in Pennsylvania. This land was 
doubly profitable, as coal was deposited there in 
great quantities. Mr. Bartles was very instru- 
mental in securing the completion of the Dela- 
ware & Rariton Canal and the Camden & Am- 
boy Railroad; was elected president of the Hun- 
terdon County Bank in 1858, which position he 
held for years, or as long as his health permitted; 
and, with John D. Hopewell, seeing the import- 
ance of having a good water supply in Fleming- 
ton, and the advantages of gas for the town, gave 
his influence towards the organization of the 
present companies, which were incorporated in 

i859- 

For fully sixty years Charles Bartles dwelt in 
one house in this place. In the spring of 1833 
he married Eliza, daughter of Neal Hart, of this 
village. She died February 25, 1845, leaving 
three sons and a daughter. Subsequently Mr. 
Bartles remarried, his second wife having been 
Eliza E. Randall, of New Hartford, N. Y. She 
departed this life March 19, 1877, and left two 
children. Four of the children of Mr. Bartles 
survive, viz.: Dr. William H.; Charles J., a 
lawyer of Williamsport, Pa.; Joseph, general 
manager of the Standard Oil Company, in St. 
Paul, Minn.; and Margaret R. , wife of Stephen 
C. McCandless, of Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Dr. Bartles received an excellent education, 
studying largely under private tutors. Having 
completed a course in Trenton Academy, he next 
entered Rutgers College, graduating therefrom 
in 1859. The following year he pursued legal 
studies under the supervision of Judge Scudder 



184 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



at Trenton. About this time he decided that he 
should not adhere to the profession of law, and 
accordingly he went to Philadelphia and ma- 
triculated in Jefferson Medical College, from 
which institution he was duly graduated. In 
order that he might have the practical experience 
so necessary to a young physician, he went 
through every department of the Philadelphia 
Hospital, spending eighteen months in this man- 
ner. During a part of the war he was acting 
assistant physician in the large army hospital 
at Portsmouth Grove, near Newport, R. I. Re- 
turning to the Quaker city, he established 
himself in practice, and was located there some 
four years. In 1872 he became one of the staff 
of physicians in the Pennsylvania Hospital for 
the Insane, and remained in that position for 
fifteen years, or until he resigned from active 
practice. During his very arduous and unre- 
mitting labor his health had become somewhat 
impaired, and he concluded to retire permanently 
from his professional work. His opinion is con- 
sidered invaluable in mental diseases, and he is 
still often called into consultation with other phy- 
sicians. For a time he was one of the directors 
of the Hunterdon County National Bank. Polit- 
ically he is a Republican. Since 1892 he has 
been treasurer of the board of trustees of the 
Presbyterian Church of Flemington, and is 
greatly interested in promoting the prosperity of 
the congregation. 



V A ICHAEE MEAGHER. The characteris- 
Y tics necessary for success are the same in 
(jj all parts of the world. Industry, good 
judgment, perseverance and sound common sense 
are indispensable requisites. Without them, suc- 
cess is impossible; with them, one may hope to 
attain at least a fair degree of prosperity. It is to 
the possession of these qualities that Mr. Meagher 
owes his high financial standing and his reputa- 
tion as a successful business man. Coming to 



America a poor boy, he relied upon his hands and 
brain to lay the foundation of his fortune. He 
worked at whatever occupation he could find, and 
carefully saved his earnings, which he invested 
in such a manner as to pay a large interest on the 
original investment. As a consequence of his 
efforts he is now the owner of the largest real- 
estate interests in Washington, where he resides. 

Mr. Meagher was born in the parish of Emly, 
Ireland, in February, 1844, and is a son of 
Timothy and Mary (Day) Meagher. When he 
was small his father died and his mother after- 
ward married again. William, the oldest brother 
of Michael, came to America when young, but 
has not been heard from for many years, and his 
whereabouts are unknown; Daniel, another 
brother, was a farmer in New Jersey, where he 
died some years ago; Mary, the only sister, is the 
wife of Thomas Keeler, of New York. Accom- 
panying his sister to the United States, Michael 
Meagher settled in Somerset County, N. J., but 
after three years he came to New Hampton, and 
five years later went to Clarksville, N. Y., where 
he was employed for a year. His next home was 
in Clinton, where he spent four 3'ears clerking 
for Mr. Weller, the hotel man there, and for a 
short time he also had a livery stable. 

In 1873 Mr. Meagher came to Washington and 
embarked in the livery business, renting the barn 
that he now owns on Belvidere avenue. But he 
soon purchased the property, and also bought 
several business houses and three lots, 70x200 
feet. Eater he bought a lot on Church street and 
erected a house. He resides in one of the finest 
residences in the place, which he purchased about 
1886 and which is located on the corner of Church 
street and Belvidere avenue. In 1S89 he pur- 
chased what is now the New Windsor Hotel, of 
which J. Ross Eakeis the proprietor. It is situ- 
ated on the corner of Church and Belvidere, sur- 
rounded by spacious grounds, heated throughout 
by steam, and lighted by electricity and gas. It 
is one of the finest hotel properties in the county. 
The main building was erected for a private resi- 
dence by a retired contractor of New York City 
and cost about $25,000. Since its purchase by 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



185 



Mr. Meagher a large dining room and kitchen 
have been added, also three stories containing 
well furnished suites of rooms. In addition to his 
other possessions, Mr. Meagher owns several fine 
farms in Washington Township, two of which are 
in the borough. From one of his farms he sold 
twenty acres for the cemetery grounds. His 
livery stable is well equipped with horses and 
vehicles of every description, and is conducted in 
a systematic and successful manner. 

By his marriage to Jennie, daughter of Jackson 
Hornbecker, of Washington, Mr. Meagher has 
four daughters, Mary, Lizzie, Jennie and Annie, 
refined and accomplished young ladies. Politi- 
cally a Democrat, Mr. Meagher is interested in 
party matters and is always pleased when his 
party scores a victory. He and his family hold 
membership in the Catholic Church. 



"HEODORE S. BIRD, after a very active 
and useful life in the. great metropolis of 
our Atlantic seaboard, returned to the 
neighborhood in which his youth was passed, 
Clinton, Hunterdon County, and intends to pass 
his declining years in this place. Having been 
diligent in his business affairs during his early 
manhood and prime, he is now justly entitled to 
quiet and restful enjoyment, and is surrounded 
by numerous comforts and luxuries which his 
forethought and industry have provided. 

The parents of our subject were John and 
Catherine (Whitehead) Bird. He was born in 
Union Township, this county, in 1828, and was 
reared to maturity upon his father's farm. John 
Bird removed to Brooklyn, N. Y., in later years 
and lived to be eighty-four. His estimable wife, 
the mother of our subject, died in young woman- 
hood, in the early '30s, when her sou Theodore 
was a mere child. He had but limited advant- 
ages for the acquisition of an education, being a 
pupil in the district schools for a few months each 
year until he was half way through his teens. 



By that time he had decided that the life of an 
agriculturist was not to his taste, and he there- 
fore learned the carpenter's trade. For a few 
years he was employed in the building of houses, 
barns, etc., in his own county. When he reached 
his majority he went to New York, and there 
worked as a ship carpenter for more than thirty- 
two years. In 1890 he came to Clinton, where 
he has a pleasant home and numerous friends. 
In the matter of political opinion he is a Demo- 
crat. 

The first wife of Mr. Bird was Miss Lydia 
Bloomfield prior to their marriage, which was 
solemnized in 1851. She departed this life in 
1883, and but one child of their union survives, 
viz., Addie, who is married and lives in New 
Haven, Conn. A son, Theodore, died when in 
his twenty-third year. In 1890 Mr. Bird mar- 
ried Mrs. Emily Bonnell, daughter of Wesley and 
Catherine (Tinsman) Bird, who were of Warren 
and Hunterdon County families, respectively. 
By her marriage with Mr. Bonnell, Mrs. Bird 
had five children: Irene, wife of Dr. Walter D. 
Hasbrock, of Rondout, N. Y.; Harry R., a drug- 
gist in Clinton; Margaret, wife of Chester A. 
Tomson, a coal dealer in Clinton; Helena, wife of 
John Y. Bellis, of Chester; and Milton, who re- 
sides at home. Mrs. Bird is a member of the 
Presbyterian Church and the other members of 
the family circle also attend its services. 



— ) — 8 »vH}n©K«-C;«-- 



(JOHN C. REEVES is the senior member of the 
I firm of Reeves & Terriberry, dealers in lumber 
G/ and builders' materials in Clinton, Hunter- 
don County. He is a business man of ability and 
executive talent, and stands high in the estima- 
tion of all who know him, whether in a social or 
public or private way. He has the good of his 
fellow-townsmen deeply at heart, and is always 
ready to do all that lies within his power to pro- 
mote their welfare. He has been very active 
and interested in public affairs touching the local 



i86 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



good, and has at different times occupied posi- 
tions of trust and responsibility. He lias hitherto 
rendered his allegiance to the Democratic party, 
but during the last campaign preferred to stand 
independent of its restrictions. He is a thinker, 
and decides for himself all great questions involv- 
ing principles, as he is not one of that multitude 
who are ready to take the opinions of others, 
party-machines, perhaps, as their own, nothing 
doubting. 

The father of the gentleman of whom we write 
was George Reeves, a native of Somersetshire, 
England, who came to America in his early man- 
hood, locating in this county. Here, on a farm, 
engaged in the peaceful routine of agriculture, 
he spent the remainder of his busy and useful 
life. He died at his home in April, 1858, and 
was survived several years by his devoted wife. 
Her maiden name was Margaret Henry, and her 
birthplace was in this section. To them five 
sons were born, viz.: Henry E., of Flemington; 
William C, deceased; Sylvester, who died at the 
age of fifteen years; John C, and Andrew J., a 
retired shoe merchant of Junction, N. J. 

John C. Reeves was born in what is now called 
Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon Count}', March 
7, 1 S3 2. He grew to manhood on the old farm, 
and after leaving school commenced the business 
to which he gave his time and attention for a 
quarter of a century — that of carpentering and 
building. In 1882 he started a lumber yard in 
Glen Gardner, which he successfully conducted 
for fifteen years, disposing of it in the spring of 
1897. In 1888, in partnership with Stewart 
Terriberry, he founded the large lumber yards in 
Clinton. They keep an extensive assortment of 
all kinds of lumber used in the trade, and have 
built up a lucrative business. 

In the various fraternities of this region 
Mr. Reeves stands especially high. He is past 
master of Lebanon Lodge No. 6, F. & A. M., and 
holds the office of high priest in Clinton Chapter 
No. 37, R. A. M. He has the honor of being a 
member of the Masonic Veterans' Association of 
the grand lodge of New Jersey, to which no one is 
eligible save those who have been master-masons 



for twenty-one years and a member of the grand 
lodge, to which only past masters are admitted. 
Religiously Mr. Reeves is a Presbyterian, being 
identiSed with the Musconetcong Valley Church. 
December 3, 1859, the marriage of Mr. Reeves 
and Mary A. Bowlby was solemnized. She was 
a daughter of David and Margaret (Shafer) 
Bowlby, farmers of Hunterdon County, and of an 
old pioneer family of the Musconetcong Valley. 
Mrs. Reeves was called to her reward May 1, 
1890, and was placed to rest in the Musconetcong 
Valley Cemetery. She left two children to mourn 
her loss: William A., who is a teller in the 
Clinton National Bank, and Frank A., now liv- 
ing in Glen Gardner. 



"REUBEN POWNELL ELY, an honored old 
^ citizen of Lambertville, Hunterdon Count}', 
\ stands very high in the estimation of all 
who know him. Of late years he has lived re- 
tired from active toil, as his years well warrant, 
but he has not been idle, for he has, among 
other things, spent much time in tracing the his- 
tory of the Ely family, one of the most ancient in 
the connected annals of this country and Eng- 
land. As a result of his untiring and diligent 
research, and of others of his family who have 
gladly lent him the valuable assistance, he has 
probably the most exhaustive and trustworthy 
accounts of the Joshua Ely family to be found in 
America. In addition to this he is an authority 
on events and history of the communities in 
which his life has been spent, and his accurate 
memory is a matter of comment to everyone. 
The limits of a work of this kind would be ex- 
ceeded were a half or a quarter of this mass of 
material relating to him and his family used, but 
we are glad to be able to give the following inter- 
esting summary: 

Tradition has it that all of the Elys in the 
United States are descended from three brothers 
who came to these shores from England, but at 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



187 



widely separated periods in our colonial history. 
The name is certainly most ancient and respected, 
as in the early Saxon chronicles it is related how, 
in 673 A. D., St. Ethelred began the "minster 
of Ely," and the convent in the city Ely, Cam- 
bridgeshire, was constructed in 870 A. D., on the 
island of Ely, separated from the mainland by the 
Ouse River. The beautiful cathedral of Ely is 
still an object of great interest to travelers in 
England, and the bishopric of the same was 
founded in 11 70. 

Nathaniel Ely settled in Springfield, Mass., in 
1628, and possibly was a brother of the Richard 
Ely who located in Lynne, Conn., in 1660, hav- 
ing come there from Plymouth, England, where 
he was a ship merchant. The third Ely, from 
whom our subject is descended in direct line, was 
Joshua Ely, who came to these shores from Not- 
tinghamshire in 1685. He located in Trenton, 
N. J., where he bought of Mahlon Stacy four 
hundred acres of land, paying for the same forty- 
seven pounds, ten shillings, sterling. A part of 
this laud was afterwards sold and divided into 
city lots. This Joshua Ely left England with 
his wife and two sons, Joshua, Jr., and George, 
and a third son, John, was born during the voy- 
age. It is from the second son, George, that our 
subject is descended. In the last will and testa- 
ment of the senior Joshua Ely he provided that if 
his son George persisted in marrying Christian, 
daughter of Nathaniel Pettit, a near neighbor, 
the said son should be cut off with twenty 
pounds, and have no share in the estate. He 
did not marry Christian, but married her sister, 
Jane Pettit, in 1703, being then but twenty-one 
years of age. Therefore he came in for his full 
share in the estate, and was the owner of one 
hundred acres in Trenton vicinity. When the 
city was incorporated in 1746 he served as a 
member of the city council, as the records show. 
He died in 1750 and an inspection of the inven- 
tory of his property shows that he was a rich 
man for that period. 

Of the three sons and three daughters which he 
left the eldest was Joshua, born March 16, 1704, 
in Trenton, where he lived until he attained the 



age of man's estate. He married Elizabeth Bell, 
also of Trenton, and for several years rented a 
farm on the Delaware River. He afterwards 
purchased some four hundred acres, situated 
about a mile north of New Hope, Pa. From 
that time on his name frequently appears in the 
township records, as well as in the records of the 
Society of Friends, to which both himself and 
wife belonged, though none of his ancestors had 
before been connected with the same. In 1752 
he was made an elder and in 1758 a minister in 
the society. He died July 15, 1783, leaving his 
land to his four sons and his personal property to 
his three daughters, all of whom lived to have 
families of their own. The third sou, John, was 
born in Solebury Township, on the farm which 
his father was then renting (May 28, 1738), and 
as his inheritance he received the fourth part of 
the homestead, on which stood the house and farm 
buildings which had been erected by his father. 
He was twice married, his first wife being Sarah 
Simcock, and their marriage being celebrated in 
the Friends' Meeting-house in Buckingham, No- 
vember 11, 1764. They had five children, one 
of whom, Asher, was the grandfather of our sub- 
ject. He was born July 11, 1768, and married 
Eleanor, daughter of John and Mary Holcombe. 
He was a farmer and lived upon that part of the 
Ely farm so often referred to in this narrative. 
The deed from his father was dated April 23, 
1808, and the price set upon it three thousand 
pounds, current money of Pennsylvania. He 
died in 1855 and his wife the following year. 

Of the nine children of Asher and Eleanor 
Ely, John H., the father of our subject, was 
born March 6, 1792, and was twice married, his 
first wife having been Elizabeth Pownall, who 
was born June 30, 1786. They were married' 
November 11, 18 12. She was a daughter of 
Reuben and Mary Pownall, whose land joined the 
Ely tract on the north. 

Reuben P. Ely, the second child of his parents, 
was born June 7, 18 15, and began life as a 
farmer in Solebury Township, Bucks County, 
Pa. Later he was interested in various business 
ventures and was usually successful in his enter- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



prises. He married Violetta Duer, December 4, 
1851, and has two children, Elizabeth F. and 
Sarah W. The mother was born January 1 1 , 
1818, and was a daughter of Joseph and Sarah 
Duer. 



PETER C. HOFF, a dealer in coal, and pro- 
prietor of a livery establishment in Lambert- 
>3 ville, Hunterdon County, is one of the 
substantial citizens of this place. His life history 
is one of unusual type, and the obstacles which 
he has had to overcome in making a position for 
himself in the business world were certainty 
numerous enough and difficult enough to have 
utterly disheartened most men. He is made of 
the kind of mettle that stands the test of adversity, 
however, and one cannot but have the greatest 
admiration for him in view of what he has done 
in the battle of life. To him the synonym is not 
a light one, for it has been wholly realized in his 
case. 

Born in Somerset Count}', N. J., October 13, 
1821, our subject at nine years of age went to 
work for a farmer near Griggstown, but as the 
man was unkind to him the lad ran away from 
his inhospitable home at the end of two years. 
He soon obtained another place, remaining there 
for two years, but all of his little earnings went 
to his father. He was next employed by a Dr. 
Davis, and while working for him he had an 
experience which came near finishing his career. 
In company with a hired man he went in a wagon 
to a distance, and at a certain point they forded 
the Raritan River. The current was so strong 
and deep that the wagon-bed was lifted off the 
wheels and floated down stream, with our hero 
clinging desperately to it. He was at last res- 
cued, more scared than hurt, but his troubles 
were not over for that clay, for before he went to 
sleep that night he accidentally broke his leg, 
and, as there were no doctors near, his aunt set 
it as best she could. For a few years he was em- 
ployed by various men, none of whom took much 



interest in the boy, nor did the}' give him enough 
compensation for his toil to make him ambitious 
of achieving greater things. For two years he 
was engaged in training race horses for Major 
Low, and carefully saved his earnings only to 
have them stolen at last. Then, for a year or 
two, he drove tow horses on the canal. His next 
venture was to learn the coach-maker's trade in 
Lambertville, the first year receiving $20 for 
the year, and each succeeding year for four years 
getting an additional $5. At length he started 
into business for himself with an exceedingly small 
capital, thus being in every way at a great disad- 
vantage, but at the close of the year he had about 
$400 clear. He went to New York in 1845, 
and after serving in the capacity of a clerk in a 
grocery for a time, he opened a store of the same 
kind in New York City, and conducted it with fair 
success four years. In 1851 he returned to this 
place and carried on a dry-goods and grocer}' 
store for a number of years in partnership with 
Martin E- Reeve. In 1864 he sold out, and, going 
to Tennessee, was appointed horse inspector in the 
Army of the Cumberland, and served as such un- 
til the close of the war, at $150 per mouth. 

In 1866 he became a partner in the firm of 
Jamieson, Murray & Co., owners of a foundry 
and machine works in Trenton, N.J. Since 1867 
he has been a resident of Lambertville, and occu- 
pied in a coal and livery business. September 1, 
1847, he married Sarah H. Marshall, of this 
place, daughter of Philip and Sarah Marshall. 
Her brother, James Wilson Marshall, was the 
noted miner who discovered gold at Sutter's 
Mills, in California, in 184S. In 1852 our subject 
went to the Pacific slope by way of the Isthmus 
of Panama, and was gone over eight months. 
During this period he joined his brother-in-law 
and was fairly successful in the pursuit of fortune. 
He returned the same year. In December, 1S54, 
he removed to Frenchtown and went into the 
ready-made clothing business; he returned to 
Lambertville in 1856, and again went into busi- 
ness with his old partner, M. L. Reeve, and con- 
tinued in business until he sold out in 1864 to 
join the army. Mr. and Mrs. Hoff had two chil- 



TYX&2S 



??'/** 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



191 



dren, but the son, Charles C, is deceased. The 
daughter, Mary A., a most amiable aud charming 
young lad}', is her father's comfort and right 
hand since the wife and mother was summoned 
to the silent land March 23, 1895. 

Formerly a Democrat, Mr. Hoff voted first for 
James K. Polk in 1844. Later he was a Whig, 
and since the organization of the Republican 
party he has been stanch in his allegiance to the 
same. With the exception of three years when 
he served as treasurer of this town, Mr. Hoff has 
never held office. Religiously he is a Baptist, 
and has acted as treasurer of the church here. 
When he attained his majority he joined the Odd 
Fellows, and is still affiliated with them, and is 
also a member of the Masonic order, belonging to 
Amwell Lodge No. 12, F. & A. M. 



6>G\ ALTER S. HIBSHMAN, M. D., is one of 
I A / the promising young physicians ofHunter- 
V V don County, having his office in Milford. 
A native of Franklin County, Pa., his early edu- 
cation was obtained in the public schools of the 
Keystone State, and afterward he was a student 
in Wooster (Ohio) University, from which he re- 
ceived the degrees of A. B. and A. M. The 
degree of M. D. he received from the Medico- 
Chirurgical Institute of Philadelphia aud after his 
graduation he was employed for one term as resi- 
dent physician at the Institute Hospital. For a 
short period he practiced his profession in Envinna, 
Pa., from which place he came to Milford in June, 
1896. He has built up a valuable and growing 
practice in this section and also in Bucks County, 
Pa. , where he is frequently called in consultation 
or for medical treatment. Besides his private 
practice he is medical examiner for the Pruden- 
tial Insurance Company of Newark, N. J. 

In his fraternal relations Dr. Hibshman is con- 
nected with the Patriotic Order Sons of America 
and he is also a member of the Alpha Tau Omega 



of the college fraternity. In 1895 he was united 
in marriage with Miss Hannah Elizabeth Mills, 
daughter of E. S. Mills, and their union has been 
blessed by the birth of two children, twins, Ger- 
trude and Leonora. The doctor and his wife are 
members of the Presbyterian Church of Milford. 
The} - are popular in the social circles of the place 
and are welcomed guests in the best homes of the 
community. 

The doctor's father, Rev. H. H. W. Hibshman, 
D. D., was for many years a prominent minister 
in the Reformed Church of Pennsylvania and was 
a man of broad information and deep spirituality, 
whose influence in his denomination was great; 
he died in April, 1896. His ancestors had been 
prominent in the history of Pennsylvania, of which 
they were early settlers. He married Alice Jane 
Clark, daughter of Edwin Clark, who gained fame 
as an inventor of the roller flour mill system. 
Seven children were born of their marriage, 
namely: Rev. E. Clark, pastor of a church at 
Stroudsburg, Pa. ; Allen Porter, a retired farmer re- 
siding in Eschbach, Pa. ; Rev. A. H. , who lives in 
Shippensburg, Pa.; Rev. H. E.,of Mount Pleasant, 
N. Y. ; Walter S. , the subject of this sketch; Roy 
S., now a student in college; and Margaret M., a 
pupil in the Lancaster (Pa.) high school. 



0ENNIS V. L. SCHENCK. Numbered 
among the sterling old citizens whose in- 
dustry and enterprise have been most im- 
portant factors in the development of Hunterdon 
County is this farmer of Delaware Township. 
He was born in Somerset County, N. J., Decem- 
ber 3, 1820, being a son of Gilbert Scheuck, a 
native of the same locality, and grandson of John 
Schenck, who served gallantly in the colonial 
struggle for independence. From these worthy 
ancestors the subject of this article inherited 
sturdy, honest, industrious traits of character, 



ig2 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the exercise of which has brought to him a fair 
measure of this world's goods and the genuine 
regard of all his neighbors and acquaintances. 

In 1859 D. V. L- Schenck was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Mary E. Carle, whose father was 
Judge Samuel Carle, a rich and influential 
merchant and representative citizen of Hunterdon 
County. He was a leader in the Democratic 
party, and was for fifteen years a county judge. 
In his official capacity he acquitted himself with 
ability and much credit to himself and constitu- 
ents. He was the administrator of numerous 
estates, and his fellows placed the utmost con- 
fidence in his integrity. He accumulated a goodly 
property, and was generous in the distribution of 
his money. He was born in Hunterdon County, 
but was in business in Somerset County, N. J., 
several years, his home being at Neshanic Sta- 
tion. 

John E. Schenck, son of D. V. L- and Mary E. 
Schenck, was born near Mount Airy, Hunterdon 
County, July 21,1861, and grew to mature years in 
that locality. He went to the country schools, 
where he obtained the rudiments of his education, 
supplementing this later by a course in the 
Trenton Business College. Therehe took the entire 
practical business studies, save the part relating 
exclusively to banking. Then he returned to the 
old home, and was interested in its management 
until he was twenty-five. The following year he 
was in business in Philadelphia, and upon New 
Year's day, 1889, he opened a livery and sale 
stable in Eambertville. His maternal grandfather, 
Judge Carle, previously mentioned, gave the 
young man financial aid on the start. He has a 
well-equipped establishment, keeps a fine line of 
carriages and road-carts and good horses. He 
is building up a sure and regular patronage, and 
deserves the support of the people in this vicinity, 
as he endeavors to please. Like his father before 
him he holds to the principles of the Republican 
party, and cast his first vote for James G. Blaine. 
Socially he belongs to Lone Star Lodge No. 16, 
K. P., and is past chancellor of the same. 

November 4, 1891, Mr. Schenck and Miss 
Jennie Lear were united in marriage in Lambert- 



ville. Mrs. Schenck is a daughter of Mahlon and 
Fannie (Yates) Lear, and by her marriage has 
become the mother of one child, Fannie, born 
in this town September 16, 1S92. 



— — i — j — •^ H1 ; 1 tl£)K»-C;» — *— <- 



HEODORE D. VAN SICKEL, D.D.S., is 
one of the representative members of the 
dental profession in Hunterdon Count}' and 
during the comparativelyshort time that he has 
been established in the town of Lambertville has 
succeeded in building up an enviable reputation 
for excellent work. In few of the professions 
have greater strides been made in this progressive 
decade or two past than in the one to which he 
belongs. He has the advantage of having 
recently studied the most approved methods of the 
time and is therefore particularly well fitted to 
meet the most difficult requirements in the shape 
of bridge-work, plates, crown-work, splints, 
obturators, etc. In manner he is kindly and 
courteous and readily wins friends by his genial 
characteristics. 

Dr. Van Sickel is a native of New Jersey, his 
birth having occurred in the town of New Bruns- 
wick, July 26, 1871. He isa sou ofWilliam and 
Lydia (Dean) Van Sickel, most worthy and re- 
spected citizens of Middlesex Count} - . The 
father was a native of the same locality as was 
our subject, and was reared on a farm. In his 
youth he learned the mason's trade, his first 
wages being nine cents a day, and later he 
became a successful contractor and builder. The 
doctor was about eight years old when his father 
bought a farm near Blackwell's Mills, N. J., and 
there he resided about four years. The home- 
stead was then sold, and the family moved back 
to New Brunswick, so the lad's education was 
mainly gained in the schools of that place. He 
was an apt student and made fine progress in his 
school work. At the asre of seventeen he entered 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



i93 



the dental office of Drs. Hull & Iredell, and was 
four years an apprentice to the profession there. 
Having thus laid a good foundation for future 
endeavor, he now matriculated in the New York 
College of Dentistry, remaining there three years. 
He was duly graduated in 1895 and at once 
settled in Lambertville. While in college he was 
a member of the Psi Omega Society, and still is 
associated with the same. In politics he is an 
ardent Republican and cast his first presidential 
vote for Harrison in 1892. 

While still a student in college, Dr. Van 
Sickel married Miss Anna Augusta Clickner, 
daughter of Edwin L. Clickner, of New Bruns- 
wick, the ceremony being performed October 13, 
1894. Mrs. Van Sickel is a young lady of 
charming manners and intellectual attainments, 
presiding over her home with grace and dignity. 
Both she and her husband are members of the 
Baptist Church of New Brunswick, where they 
are numbered among the most energetic workers 
in the congregation. 



WAMUEh G. LUNGER, ex-mayor of the 
7\ thriving little city of Clinton, Hunterdon 
\~J County, is one of the solid business men of 
this place, and has always been actively inter- 
ested in the promotion of its welfare. He comes 
from old and honored families in this vicinity, his 
ancestors having settled hereabouts several gener- 
ations ago, and were among the founders of this 
county's prosperity. 

George G. Lunger, father of our subject, was 
a life-long resident of Hunterdon Count}', and, 
while chiefly occupied in agricultural pursuits, 
was also for a period engaged in mercantile en- 
terprises. In the affairs of this county he was 
quite prominent, holding many local offices to 
the satisfaction of all concerned. After acting in 
the capacity of collector, he was honored by the 



more responsible position of sheriff, and discharged 
his arduous duties with fidelity to the least 
detail. His useful, active life was rounded out 
to almost fourscore years, and when death claimed 
him he passed away from his community re- 
gretted and mourned by all who had known him. 
He died April 11, 1891, aged seventy-nine years, 
three months and nine days. His faithful com- 
panion, whose maiden name was Rebecca Lawshe, 
was born in this county, and is still living, now 
over eighty years of age. 

Samuel G. Lunger was born in 1847, upon his 
father's homestead, in Hunterdon County. In 
his boyhood he had only such educational advan- 
tages as the district school afforded. He became 
a practical farmer under the direction of his father 
on the home farm, where he continued to dwell 
until he was twenty-five years of age. The fol- 
lowing two years he was in the government em- 
ploy, engaged in carrying the mail from High 
Bridge to German Valley. About 1873 he entered 
the butcher's business in High Bridge, and 
was successfully occupied in this enterprise in 
that village until 1882, when he sold out and 
went to Philadelphia. After a two years' resi- 
dence in the Quaker city he removed to Clin- 
ton, arriving here June 10, 1885. Since that date 
he has carried on a meat market here, and has 
gradually built up a large and remunerative trade. 
Mr. Lunger is identified with the Odd Fellows' 
society and the Knights of Pythias. In the lodge 
of the last-named organization he has passed 
through all the chairs, and has enjoyed the honor 
of being sent as its representative to the grand 
lodge. In his political affiliations he is a Demo- 
crat, and, while not an aspirant to official honors, 
he has been called upon in a few instances to 
occupy public positions in this vicinity, and has 
acquitted himself with ability. When living in 
High Bridge he was assessor of that township. 
Here he has been a member of the common coun- 
cil and has served as mayor of the city. 
v The marriage of Mr. Lunger and Margaret 
Bogart took place in 1867. Mrs. Lunger is a 
daughter of Isaac Bogart, of Hampden, N.J. Of 
the children born to our subject and wife five are 



i 9 4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



still living, viz.: Minnie, now the wife of Charles 
A. Woolley, of Boston, Mass.; Helen, John, Car- 
roll and Robert. Mrs. Lunger is a consistent 
Christian, and is identified with the Presbyterian 
Church as a member. 



GlNDREW CRATER. Not far from the 
i 1 pretty village of Pleasant Run, Hunterdon 
/ I County, is situated the home where Mr. 
Crater resided until his death. He was a pro- 
gressive and successful business man and farmer, 
and was well and favorably esteemed throughout 
Readington Township, where he lived all of his 
mature life. His forefathers were closely associ- 
ated with the upbuilding and development of this 
section of the state since its early settlement and 
came here originally from Germany. As a family 
they have been remarkable for sturdy indepen- 
dence, industry, reliability, integrity and all that 
goes to make good citizens. Almost without 
exception they have preferred the quiet, peaceful 
avocation of a fanner, and in every case have 
been successful in the acquisition of a good liveli- 
hood. 

The father of our subject, Peter A. Crater, is a 
well-to-do farmer of Hunterdon County. He is 
the son of Philip, and grandson of Matthias Cra- 
ter, both of whom were natives of this county and 
practical agriculturists. Peter Crater married 
Matilda Apgar, a resident of his own neighbor- 
hood, and to their union six children were born. 
Three of the number are deceased, and the others 
ill the order of their births are Eliza A. , Rebecca 
and Lydia. 

Andrew Crater was born in Hunterdon County, 
September 12, 1846. In his boyhood he attended 
the common schools, where he gained a knowledge 
of the three "R's" and other useful information 
amply sufficient for the ordinary purposes of life. 
At the same time he learned everything essential 



to the proper management of a farm, and was 
thus qualified to assume charge of one of his own 
when he arrived at maturity. When he died he 
was the proprietor of an improved homestead of 
some seventy-two acres, all of which yielded 
abundant harvests in return for the care bestowed 
upon the place. 

September 28, 1880, Mr. Crater married Sarah 
Smith, a daughter of Ralph Smith, of this county. 
They had only one child, Andrew J., Jr. They 
were members of the Reformed Church, and were 
interested in religious and benevolent enterprises. 
In his political belief Mr. Crater was a Democrat. 
He never aspired to office, but preferred to attend 
strictly to his own affairs. He commanded the 
respect and high regard of all with whom he ever 
had any dealings, whether in a business or social 
manner; and his death, on May 19, 1898, was 
mourned by all who knew him. On the 13th 
of the same month his wife passed away. 



[I UKE S. BEACKWELL has been a life-long 
I C farmer and for over forty years has been en- 
|_2f gaged in the cultivation of his desirable 
homestead, which is situated in East Amwell 
Township, Hunterdon County. Ever since the 
First National Bank of Hopewell was started a 
few years ago, he has been one of the directors of 
that institution. Though he possessed few ad- 
vantages in his youth in an educational way. as 
compared with those now afforded every school- 
child, he is well posted and intelligent, having 
become so by reading and observation, and gen- 
eral experience in the hard school of life. Po- 
litically he is a Republican, and is a firm believer 
in the present standard of the monetary system. 
For years he has been an influential member of 
the Dutch Reformed Church of Clover Hill, and 
has served the congregation in the capacity of 
elder. 

The fifth in a family of seven children born to 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



i9S 



Jacob and Mary (Van Dyke) Blackwell, L. S., of 
whom we write, was born in Hopewell Township, 
Mercer County, N. J., November 21, 1823. 
The other brothers and sisters are: Ann M., de- 
ceased; Nathaniel D., also deceased; Elizabeth, 
widow of Jacob S. Manners, who was a farmer of 
this township, and died in 1881, at the age of 
sixty-nine years; J. V. D., a resident of Werts- 
ville; Benjamin, of Pennington; and Margaret, 
who died in infancy. 

The parents of our subject died when he was 
eight years old, but he continued to live in the 
neighborhood of his old home until he was about 
sixteen, when he came to this locality. From 
that time until 1857 he worked for the brother- 
in-law previously mentioned, Jacob S. Manners. 
Forty-one years ago he settled upon the farm 
where he still makes his home. There are 
eighty-four acres in the homestead, and the 
owner has another tract of woodland, some thirty 
acres additional. He deserves great credit for 
the success which he has made, as he started out 
to make his own way in the world at eight years 
an orphan, and unaided by influence, friends or 
wealth. He is practically self educated and self 
made, and has won a competence by industry and 
unremitting attention to business. He was mar- 
ried in September, 1868, to Sarah Sutphin, 
daughter of R. J. and Rachel A. Sutphin. The 
mother was born in 1807, is still living and en- 
joys fair health. Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell have 
no children. 



qJEORGE I. GARDNER, of Belvidere, was 
__ born in this vicinity, and has always lived 
J hereabouts. In a business way he has been 
active, and in the promotion of local improvements 
his influence is ever given to the progressive idea. 
Upright in all his dealings with his fellow-men, he 
merits and receives, in gratifying measure, their 
high regard. 



The great-grandfather of our subject was a 
native of Scotland and bore the Christian name of 
William. At a very early day in the annals of 
this county he came to America, and made his 
home permanently in Harmony Township, where 
he was an influential man and extensive land- 
holder. He donated the ground on which was 
built the old Harmony Church, and in the neigh- 
boring church 3'ard he and many of his descend- 
ants are peacefully resting. The father of our 
subject, James Gardner, was born in Harmony 
Township, and followed agricultural pursuits in 
his early manhood. He won the love and esteem 
of all with whom he came into contact, as his life 
was above reproach. For years he was a great 
worker in the First Presbyterian Church of Har- 
mony. In 1857 h e removed to Belvidere, and 
there continued to make his abode while he lived. 
His death, which occurred in 1883, was deeply 
deplored by his large circle of earnest friends, 
and was felt to be a great loss to the community. 
His faithful wife, whose maiden name was Ruth 
Cole, is still living, now in her eightieth year, and 
five of their ten children survive. 

George I. Gardner was born January 8, 1842, 
and when he arrived at a suitable age began at- 
tending the local schools. At seventeen he com- 
menced farming in earnest, but the arduous life 
proved too hard for his strength, and when he 
reached his majority he came to Belvidere, and 
embarked in the lumber business and in contract- 
ing for buildings. Since that time he has kept 
steadily at work along these lines, and has met 
with success. In this town he has erected three 
hundred or more houses, etc., or more than all 
other contractors. Still, his time has not been 
fully occupied in meeting the needs of the local 
trade, and he has consequently taken contracts 
elsewhere, anywhere in the county. In Phillips- 
burg, for instance, he has put up about thirty 
houses. His structures always give complete 
satisfaction, as he carries out to the letter every 
detail of his contracts. In politics a Democrat, 
he discharges his duty as a voter, but has never 
aspired to official distinction. By his marriage 
with Maria, daughter of Samuel Williams, of 



196 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Water Gap, Pa., June 8, 1863, he has the follow- 
ing children: Charles; Elizabeth, Mrs. Samuel 
Belford; Samuel W. and Henrietta. 

Samuel W. Gardner was born August 18, 1872, 
and was educated in the Belvidere schools. When 
he was in his fifteenth year he went in business 
with his father, and gradually assumed more of 
the responsibility connected with the manage- 
ment of the same, until 1891, when the firm name 
was changed to the present style, S. W. Gardner 
& Co. In the spring of 1897 he was elected a 
member of the city council by his political col- 
leagues, the Democrats of this locality. Frater- 
nally he stands high, belonging to Warren Lodge 
No. 13, F. & A. M., is also a member of the 
Royal Arch Masons at Washington; De Molay 
Commandery No. 6, K. T., of Washington, 
N. J., and is also identified with the Red Men. 
May 29, 1895, his marriage with Carrie, daugh- 
ter of Jacob Shield, was solemnized. 



• -■••>»> OCyK'-c; 1 — 1-~ '- 



AVID ROBERSON. Alist of the men who, 
«) after years of toil and persevering effort have 
Q) retired from business cares and are enjoying 
the fruits of former labor, would include the name 
of Mr. Roberson, of Frenchtown, a well-known 
citizen and a retired farmer. For some twelve 
years he has been a director in the Union National 
Bank. In other ways he is closely identified with 
local enterprises and has contributed to the ad- 
vancement of the place where he resides. 

The birth of Mr. Roberson occurred in King- 
wood Township, Hunterdon County, December 
18, 1820. His father, Pearson, who was a son of 
Jonathan Roberson, a life-long resident of King- 
wood Township, was born January 30, 1796, and 
died May 22, 1857, at about sixty-one years of 
age. Born near Baptistown, he engaged in farm- 
ing in Kingwood Township and was one of its 
leading agriculturists. In religion he was con- 
nected with the Baptist Church, as was also his 



wife, Rebecca (Lair) Roberson, who was born 
June 10, 1794, and died May 4, 1884. They 
were the parents of eight children, all but one of 
whom are still living, viz.: David, Jonathan, Will- 
iam, John, Wilson; Jane, wife of Samuel Thatcher; 
and Joseph. 

When twenty-one years of age the subject of 
this sketch went to Locktown and was there em- 
ployed on a farm for three years. He then re- 
moved to his present home in Frenchtown, where 
he gave his attention to farming pursuits until 
1862. The following year he was appointed sex- 
ton of Frenchtown Cemetery, a position that he 
held for twenty-two successive years. He is now 
living in retirement from business and farming 
duties, surrounded by every comfort that can en- 
hance the happiness of life. Fraternally he is 
connected with Arion Lodge, F. & A. M., in 
which he has passed the chairs, and is also a 
member of Lambertville Chapter, R. A. M. In 
religious belief he is a Methodist and his family 
also attend that church. 

In 1844 Mr. Roberson was united in marriage 
with Miss Ellen Eichlin, daughter of Samuel 
Eichliu. Their five children are as follows: 
John, who is now living in Ohio; Emma, who is 
at home and is her father's housekeeper; Sarah 
Ann, deceased; Henry C, of Frenchtown; and 
James W., who resides in Lambertville. The 
wife and mother died in 1890, at the age of sixty- 
seven years. 



(JACOB VEIT, of Flemington, is one of her 
1 most worthy German-American citizens, and 
Q) one who richly earned his right to be called 
a patriotic son of this commonwealth during his 
long and arduous service in defense of this nation's 
liberties in the late civil conflict. He was born 
in Wittenberg, Germany, May 16, 1842, and came 
to seek a new home in America when he was a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



197 



youth of about fourteen years. He had received 
a general education in the schools of his Father- 
land, and, as soon as possible after his arrival in 
this country, or about a year later, he went to 
school through the winter term, working in the 
meantime to pay his expenses. His was a hardy, 
industrious nature, and the difficulties that would 
have seemed insurmountable to many a lad but 
served to spur him on to redoubled zeal in over- 
coming them. 

The first of our subject's family to leave home 
and native land was his brother Christian, who 
located in Philadelphia in 1850. There he was 
engaged in the butchering business until the out- 
break of the war, when he enlisted for nine 
months' service, later resuming his former oc- 
cupation. The father, Jacob Veit, who was a 
cooper by trade, and worked at that calling in 
Germany, was the next of the family to decide 
that he would henceforth live beneath the stars 
and stripes. He crossed the ocean in 1852, ac- 
companied by his wife, whose maiden name was 
Katherine Dibbler. They had but two chil- 
dren, Christian and Jacob. 

Jacob Veit, of this sketch, found employment 
for the first year after he landed in the United 
States, in a stable in Flemington, as a stable-boy, 
and was similarly occupied until September 23, 
1861, when he enlisted in Company F, Ninth 
New Jersey Infantry, being mustered in October 
1. He was assigned to Reno's First Brigade, and 
went on Burnside's expedition January 3, 1862, 
serving altogether three years and ten months. 
After the first year he was detailed as orderly for 
Major Stewart, who was successively promoted 
to lieutenant-colonel, colonel and brigadier- 
general. This valiant officer he followed 
throughout his brilliant campaigns, sharing his 
good or evil fortune, as the case might be. With 
the exception of one battle, when he was sick 
with typhoid fever, he participated in all the 
numerous battles and engagements which his 
company had with the enemy. Among these 
were the following: Capture of Roanoke Island, 
February 8, 1862; Ft. Macon, N. C, April, 25; 
Young's Cross-roads, Jul)- 27; expedition to 



Washington, October; Rowells' Mills, November 
2; Goldsboro Expedition, December 11; Deep 
Creek, December 12; near Kingston from De- 
cember 13-16; White Hall, December 17; ex- 
pedition to Port Royal, January 20, 1863; Point 
Comfort, N. C, July 6; Deep Creek, July 12; 
march to Winton, N. C. , July 25. After his re- 
enlistment January 18, 1864, he was in thebattles 
and skirmishes of Deep Creek, N. C. , February 
7; Cherry Grove, April 14; Point Walthall, May 
6, 7; Swift Creek, May 9, 10; Drury's Bluff, May 
12 and 17; Cold Harbor, June 3-13. With the 
Second Brigade, Second Division, Tenth Army 
Corps, he was in the encounters at Weir Bottom 
Creek, June 16; Petersburg, Va., June 20, Aug- 
ust 24; Mine Explosion, July 30; Gardner's 
Bridge, December 7; Foster's Bridge, December 10; 
Butler's Bridge, December 11; Southwest Creek, 
March 7, 1865; Wise's Ford, March S-n and 
Goldsboro, N. C, March 21. He was transferred 
to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twenty- 
third Army Corps, April 3, and was finally 
mustered out of the service July 12, 1865. 

At the close of the war Mr. Veit returned to 
Flemington and bought out a livery establishment 
and has continued in this business ever since. 
He has been prospered financially, and stands 
well in the business community. In local affairs 
he votes for the one whom he considers best for 
an}' given office, and in general elections his 
support is given to the Democracy. He has 
never sought or held official positions, preferring 
to live the quiet life of a private citizen. He is a 
charter member of Lambert Boeman Post No. 48, 
G. A. R., of this place. His wife belongs to the 
Woman's Relief Corps, connected with the post, 
and has been chaplain of the same for the past 
ten years. She was united in marriage with Mr. 
Veit August 7, 1866, she then bearing the name 
of Lavenia Van Doren. Her father, Jacob Van 
Doren, and her mother, Sarah, were natives of 
this county, and resided on the old family home- 
stead in Readington Township. Mrs. Veit has 
two brothers and one sister living, Joseph C, 
Lncelia and H. S. O. Van Doren. Of the five 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Veit two are de- 



198 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ceased, viz.: Annie L. , who married B. Frank 
Harris, of South Plainfield, N. J., and left one 
daughter, Delia M.; and John J., the second child. 
Sadie C. is at home; Edward A. graduated from 
Stewart's Business College, of Trenton, N. J., 
March 18, 1898; and Odelbert J. is a student in 
the high school. Mrs. Veit is a member of the 
Presbyterian Church, which her husband attends, 
and to which he lends material assistance. She 
is also identified with the Needlework Guild 
of the church and is active in various kinds of 
benevolences. 



Q ENJAMIN F. HONNESS, now postmaster 
VS of Clinton, was appointed to this position by 
\_j President McKinley in September, 1897, and 
received his commission on the first of the follow- 
ing month. He was formerly the efficient mayor 
of this place for two years, and has been for years 
one of the reliable standard-bearers of the Repub- 
lican party in this section. He is giving general 
satisfaction to all parties in his present position, 
is accommodating and very popular, and deserves 
the commendation of his fellow-citizens. 

The parents of the above were Michael and 
Elizabeth (Fritts) Honness. The father, who 
was of German descent, died when Benjamin F. 
was a mere child, and the latter unfortunately 
has no remembrance of him. He was a native of 
this county, and carried on a farm in Lebanon 
Township. He, in turn, was a son of George 
Honness. Benjamin F. Honness was born upon 
his father's homestead in this county, November 
7, 1827, and until he was ten years old he lived 
with his widowed mother. At that tender age 
he was obliged to leave home to make his own 
livelihood as best he could, and for a period of five 
years worked for his board for neighboring farm- 
ers. At the end of that time he was apprenticed 
to a tailor, C. W. Altemus, of Clinton, and was 
employed solely in that line of business for four 



years. Then he accepted a clerkship in the post- 
office, filling that position in connection with his 
tailoring business. In 1S53 he became a mem- 
ber of the firm of Hummer, Hackett & Honness, 
and was interested in general merchandising for 
the next two years. 

In 1856 Mr. Honness became an employe of 
the Hope Express Company, as a messenger on 
the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, 
his route lying between New York and Great 
Bend, Pa., for thirteen years. The run was then 
extended to Binghamton, and he removed from 
Great Bend, where he had made his home for 
more than a dozen years, to Binghamton, remain- 
ing there about six years. In 1876 he was given 
the express agency at Newark, N. J., and held 
the position for ten years, at the expiration of 
which time the company sold out to the United 
States Express Company, and with the new cor- 
poration our subject continued to render faithful 
service for two years. He then resigned and 
came to Clinton, where, a year later, he pur- 
chased the hardware store of John A. Young, in 
partnership with William C. Butler, the firm be- 
coming Honness & Butler. After six years of 
successful enterprise Mr. Honness retired from 
the firm, and enjoyed a much-needed rest for a 
few years, afterwards occupying the public offices 
already mentioned. Fraternally he is a Mason, 
and has been a member of Stewart Lodge No. 34, 
F. & A. M., for some time. He was formerly an 
Episcopalian, but as there is no church of that 
denomination here he has identified himself with 
the Presbyterian Church. 

January 21, 1857, was the date of the first mar- 
riage of Mr. Honness. The lady of his choice 
was Elizabeth S. , daughter of Alexander and 
Susan (Sharp) Probasco. She died in April, 
1859, leaving one daughter, Ada V., now the 
wife of Prof. George C. Sonu, of the Newark high 
school. June 2S, 1864, Mr. Honness married 
Sarah A. Foster, whose parents were Thomas 
and Sarah (Young) Foster. She is a sister of 
John Y. Foster, deceased, editor of the Frank 
Leslie publications for a number of years and 
prominently before the people of this state at one 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



199 



time as the secretary of the New Jersey Republi- 
can Committee. The union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Honness was blessed with three children: Robert, 
who died in infancy; John Foster, a real-estate 
and insurance man of New York City, and who 
married Catherine, daughter of Rev. J. Clement 
French, of Newark; and George G. , a civil en- 
gineer, in the employ of the Passaic Water Com- 
pany of Paterson, N. J., his home being in 
Newark. Both sons attended the military school 
in Reading, Pa. 



ROBERT A. MONTGOMERY is one of the 
most enterprising business men of Eambert- 
ville, Hunterdon County, of which place he 
is a native son. From his early years he has 
been connected with the various interests of the 
town, and has been foremost in promoting all 
local industries and institutions that he believed 
beneficial to our people. In political matters he 
takes his stand on the Republican party plat- 
form, and is now serving as a chairman of the 
county commissioners, representing the first 
ward. 

Born May 4, 1861, Robert A. Montgomery is 
a son of Robert and Mary (Roberts) Montgom- 
ery. In his boyhood he attended the public 
schools, and by the time that he was fifteen he 
had mastered the most practical branches of mod- 
ern education. He then took a position as a 
clerk in the store which he now owns, and grad- 
ually learned the details of the business, so that 
he at last felt competent to undertake the enter- 
prise on his own responsibility. For a time, 
when he was nineteen or thereabout, he was a 
fireman on the Belvidere branch of the Pennsyl- 
vania Railroad Company. Returning then to 
this town, he became the proprietor of the store 
on Cottage Hill, buying the establishment 
largely on borrowed capital. This indebtedness 
he was soon enabled to meet and by his strict atten- 



tion to his business in all its details he has been 
prospered in a financial point of view. At pres- 
ent the demands of the trade keep several clerks 
busy, and from time to time the owner has been 
compelled to enlarge his stock and accommoda- 
tions. In 1889 he began taking contracts for the 
building of fine roads, macadamized and other 
kinds, and also employs about two hundred men 
at crushing stone and making paving-blocks. He 
handles about $150,000 to $200,000 worth of such 
stone each year, having built up a very large 
business. This company is known as the Dela- 
ware Quarry and Construction Company, and its 
office is at No. 24 Exchange Place. Mr. Montgom- 
ery was elected the president of the same in 1893 
and has served as such up to the present time. He 
is also president of the Stockton Stone Company. 
December 13, 1S82, Mr. Montgomery married 
Alma Hunt, of Milford. She was a native of 
that place and is a daughter of Noah and Rachel 
(Robeson) Hunt. To our subject and wife a 
son and a daughter have been born, Richard, in 
1885 and Maroan, in 1888. The family have a 
very pleasant home situated on Cottage Hill. 
They attend the Presbyterian Church. Frater- 
nally Mr. Montgomery belongs to St. Elmo Com- 
mandery, and is present commander of No. 14, K. 
T. , and has been the high priest of Wilson Chapter 
No. 13, R. A. M., of Eambertville. He is very 
fond of athletic sports, and is the treasurer of the 
Eambertville Athletic Association. 



— •^>(|§f§)®£fr: 



"3 EORGE STIEEWEEE, a sterling citizen of 
— Readington Township, Hunterdon Count)', 
^J comes from old and thoroughly respected 
families of this section of the state of New Jersey. 
His great-grandfather Stillwell was a soldier in 
the colonial struggle for independence in America, 
and his descendants have always been character- 
ized with great patriotism and love for their coun- 



200 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



try, a due regard for the rights and welfare of 
their fellows and in private life have been marked 
for their honest, industrious and homely virtues. 

The father of the subject of this article was 
John Still well, a native of Hunterdon County. 
In his younger years he was a merchant at White 
House, and at one time was engaged in the card- 
ing and weaving of wool into cloth. Later he 
was a successful farmer. He was a son of Nich- 
olas Stillwell, who with his father was an early 
settler of this county. John Stillwell was a Whig 
in politics, and joined the ranks of the Republi- 
can party upon its organization. He married 
Elizabeth Longstreet, a native of Somerset Coun- 
ty. She died December 31, 1897, at the age of 
ninety-five years, and was probably the oldest 
woman in this township. The husband and 
father departed this life in November, 1869. Of 
their seven children four are still living, viz.: 
Martha, widow of the late William Johnson; 
Mary, wife of Marion Welsh, of this vicinity; 
Elizabeth and George. Rev. Aaron L. and John 
V., and Catherine A. , Mrs. PeterT. Haver, of Leb- 
anon Township, are deceased. The parents were 
members of the Reformed Church and reared their 
family in the ways of righteousness and useful- 
ness to mankind. 

The birth of George Stillwell occurred March 
20, 1832, in this county, and from his earliest 
years he has been interested in agricultural pur- 
suits. He received a district school education 
and is largely self made in this respect, as he has 
been quite a reader and student, his aim being to 
keep fully in touch with the spirit of progress. 
In November, i860, he married Catherine, daugh- 
ter of the late Peter Schomp, of Readington Town- 
ship. Seven children came to bless their hearts 
and home and six of them survive. Peter is a 
successful attoruey-at-law in Bayoune, N. J. ; 
John V. is a resident of White House Station; 
Aaron L. lives in this locality; Rosina is the wife 
of Peter S. Herder, of this township; George also 
lives in this neighborhood; and Eliza L. is at home. 
Our subject has been fortunate in his various 
financial and business undertakings, has reared 
and educated his children to take useful places in 



society and has won the love and respect of all 
who know him — a record of which any one might 
well be proud. In matters of political moment 
he uses his ballot and influence for the Republi- 
can party principles and candidates, and has him- 
self occupied the position of committeeman in this 
township. For many years he and his estimable 
wife have been members of the Reformed Church 
of White House, he having acted as deacon and 
elder in the same. 



30HN G. GROSS, a worthy German-Amer- 
ican citizen of Belvidere, has resided here 
for twenty-two years. During this period he 
has been proprietor of a bakery and confectioner}' 
store. Though not a native of America, he is a 
patriotic son of his adopted country. In the local 
fraternities he is active and has been chancellor 
commander of the Knights of Pythias lodge, 
junior deacon in the Masonic lodge, and a mem- 
ber of the Odd Fellows' society and the Red Men. 

John G Gross was born in the province of Wur- 
temberg, Germany, February 24, 1849, and was 
one of five children of John G. , Sr. , and Barbara 
(Graf) Gross. His father was a farmer by occupa- 
tion and was a man of prominence in the Lutheran 
Church. He passed his whole life in the Father- 
land, dying in 1885. His good wife survived 
him only a few years, her death occurring in 
1892. Of the four living children, Margaretta is 
the wife of Jacob Meyer and lives in Germany ; 
Jacob and Christiana (the latter unmarried) are 
still in Germany. Frederick, the eldest son, is 
deceased. 

In his youth our subject attended the govern- 
ment schools in Germany. At fourteen he left 
school and worked at the upholstering trade for 
about three years. In 1S71 he enlisted in the 
army, in the war between his country and France, 
and served for two 3'ears, passing through many 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



20 1 



of the severe privations as well as the inevitable 
clangers incident to the lot of a soldier. Then, 
upon his return home, he was employed at his 
trade until he decided to come to America. It 
was in the Centennial year of our great country 
that he made the voyage to his new home, and 
since that time he has been stanch in his 
allegiance to the United States. May 9, 1876, he 
married Barbara, daughter of George Kurtz, of 
Germany, and their three sons living are: Charles, 
William and Harry. 



(TAMES G. EWING, of Raritan Township, 
i Hunterdon County, is a self-made and self- 
O educated man, and through all kinds of diffi- 
culties persevered in the task he had set before 
him until he arrived at a position of respect and 
influence in the community wherein his lot was 
cast. The man who overcomes obstacles and 
wins in spite of opposing circumstances is a man 
who commands the esteem of all true-hearted 
Americans, for in this land, more than in any 
other, the nobleness and inherent strength of 
character which will not be daunted is the 
highest criterion of sterling worth. 

The Ewings are of Scotch extraction, and the 
paternal grandfather of the above was James 
Ewing, who was born across the Atlantic March 
2 4. J 755. an d came to this fair land during its 
struggle for independence. He located after that 
war in Mercer County, N. J., and there followed 
his profession as a teacher and was also more or 
less employed in surveying. He was a learned 
man for his time and was a minister of no small 
repute in the Baptist denomination. He was 
twice married. His labors ended in 1806, and 
his burial place is in the cemetery at Hopewell, 
N.J. 

Gideon, father of our subject, was born Janu- 
ary 22, 1784, in Mercer County. At an early 



age he was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade, 
receiving but little save his board and clothes. 
During his youth he was allowed to attend the 
district schools some in the winter time, but he 
was mainly obliged to rely upon his individual 
efforts in the acquisition of knowledge. Upon 
attaining his majority he removed to this town- 
ship, settling in Klinesville, where he bought a 
small piece of land and thereon erected a black- 
smith shop. For about forty years he worked 
industriously at his trade, and was the admir- 
ation of all who knew him for his strength and 
fine physique. Altogether, he was a resident of 
Klinesville sixty-six years, and was the owner of 
two excellent farms at the time of his death, 
which event occurred December 23, 1871. 

October 20, 1805, Gideon Ewiug married Mary 
Quick, and seven children came to gladden their 
hearthstone: Amelia, born February 4, 1808; 
John G. , April 27, 1810; Elizabeth, September 
22, 1812; Jerusha, June 27, 1815; Martha, Decem- 
ber 12, 1817; Susan, March 16, 1S20; and James 
G. James G. and Martha are the sole survivors 
of the entire family. The mother died August 

3i, 1855- 

James G. Ewing was born in Klinesville, July 
11, 1823, and there grew to manhood. When he 
started out in life for himself he commenced 
working a farm on shares, and thus got his 
financial beginning. It was in 1856 that he came 
to his present homestead, a well-improved farm 
of eighty-seven acres, about a mile arid a-half 
distant from the town of Flemington. He has 
carried on general farming enterprises and in all 
his undertakings has been ably seconded by his 
faithful wife, to whom he credits much of his suc- 
cess in life. They were married November 9, 
1852, she being then Miss Annie Higgins, one of 
the six children of John and Rebecca (Schenck) 
Higgins. The others were named as follows: 
Mary S., Catherine, Nathaniel, John S. and 
Rachel. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ewing 
was blessed by two children: John H., born No- 
vember 1, 1853, and Furman R., bora July 28, 
1859, died November 24, 1861. The surviving 
sou is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College 



202 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and is one of the leading physicians of Fleming- 
ton. He married Julia Sullivan and has three 
children living: Annie, Alice and Edith, one 
having died, viz. : Charles F. Our subject and 
wife are members of the Baptist Church, his 
membership dating from 1848, and he has been a 
trustee in the congregation. In accordance with 
his temperance principles, he uses his ballot on 
behalf of the nominees of the Prohibition party. 



r\ETER P. SCHOMP is of the fourth genera- 
yr tion of Schomps bearing the Christian name 
\3 of Peter, and comes from one of the repre- 
sentative old families of Hunterdon County, his 
forefathers having settled here in the pioneer 
days of New Jersey history. He is a leading and 
prosperous agriculturist of Readington Township, 
as was his father before him, and like that 
honored man, has been a life-long resident of this 
locality. 

The parents of our subject were Peter and 
Sarah M. (Van Fleet) Schomp, both natives of 
this county. They were very active in the Re- 
formed Church of Readington, were liberal and un- 
failing in their kindness to the poor, and in every 
respect were ideal citizens. Mr. Schomp held 
many official positions in the church, such as 
that of deacon and elder, etc., and in his death, 
which event took place in 1886, the people of this 
community, to whom he had greatly endeared 
himself, felt that they had indeed met with an 
irreparable loss. In politics he was a Republican , 
and public spirited at all times. Of his children 
the following survive: Mrs. George Stillwell; 
Peter P. ; Mrs. William Probasco, of Flemington, 
N. J.; Eeah, wife of George W. Cole; Margaret, 
wife of Sanford Pickle, of Somerville, N. J.; and 
Winfield. John V., Jacob P. and Emma, Mrs. 
William McCrea, are deceased. 

Peter P. Schomp was born February 2S, 1S45, 



in Readington Township, and is largety self 
educated, as the district school which he attended 
in his boyhood did not afford very liberal advan- 
tages to the ambitious youth of the period. He 
has always been connected with farming duties, 
and is now the owner of one hundred and sixty- 
six acres of valuable land under good cultivation. 
This is his home property, and in addition to 
this he has another tract of ninety- nine acres. 
His success in a business way is to be attributed 
solely to his sound judgment and correct methods 
of transacting his financial affairs, and to his 
industry and perseverance in whatever he under- 
takes. He is a respected member of society in 
this section of the state, and with his good wife 
is active in religious and benevolent work. They 
hold membership with the Reformed Church of 
Readington. His right of franchise he uses in 
favor of the nominees of the Republican party. 

'The marriage of Mr. Schomp and Sarah A. 
Dalley, of this county, was celebrated November 
24, 1869. She was born September 21, 1845, a 
daughter of John E. and Rebecca (Dilley) Dalle}', 
natives of Hunterdon County. The father died 
in 1880. Mrs. Schomp has three brothers living: 
John J., in Brooklyn, N. Y.; Devi, in the west; 
and Peter, in this township. The two children of 
our subject and wife are Peter and Ida. 



Gl ARON J. THOMPSON is one of the best 
LI known citizens of Hunterdon County, within 
/ I the boundaries of which not only he but his 
honored father, the late Judge Joseph Thompson, 
was born and always resided. For forty years 
he has been officially connected with the Farmers' 
Mutual Fire Assurance Association of New Jer- 
sey, and during the past thirteen years he has 
served in the capacity of secretary of the organi- 
zation. 

The birth of the subject of this review occurred 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



203 



December 11, 1837, on a f arm i n Readington 
Township. Here he grew to man's estate, leav- 
ing school when he was about fifteen on account 
of poor health. Active out-door life, however, 
soon restored him to his accustomed vigor, and 
he became active and energetic in the business 
world. When his father and other prominent 
men organized the fire association, in which he is 
still interested, he was made assistant secretary 
and eventually succeeded his senior in the secre- 
taryship upon the latter' s retirement from the 
office in 1885. He is a man of good executive 
ability, understands thoroughly the details of the 
business, and is the "right man in the right 
place." In affairs affecting this neighborhood 
he has always taken commendable interest, his 
influence being ever cast on the side of progress 
and advancement. In politics he is a Republican, 
For years he has been a member of the Reading- 
ton Reformed Church and is now one of the elders 
in the same. He enjoys the friendship and good 
will of everyone, being highly esteemed for his 
sterling qualities of head and heart. 

In 1 86 1 Mr. Thompson married Anna L. 
Rarick, who was born in this locality, and they 
became the parents of four children, three of 
whom survive, viz.: Anna D., who is a mission- 
ary in Japan in the interests of the Reformed 
Church; Rev. Elias W., who is the pastor of the 
Broadway Reformed Church of Paterson, N. J.; 
and Josephine A., wife of Jacob Kershaw, of 
Somerville, N. J. In 1880 our subject married 
Abbie H. Thomas, of Metuchen, N. J. 

Judge Joseph Thompson, the father of our sub- 
ject, was in many ways a most remarkable man, 
one of the foremost of his time in western New 
Jersey. From worthy, upright ancestors he in- 
herited characteristics that commanded the admir- 
ation of his associates, and his life was truly 
without blot or blemish, save in very trivial mat- 
ters. His grandfather, John, was born in Scot- 
land April 15, 1730, and married Judick Bodine, 
of Holland extraction. This worthy couple had 
but one child, a son, John, born near White 
House Station, Hunterdon County, in 1772. 
The little family were compelled to flee for their 



lives in 1778 when residing on the Susquehanna 
River, and this terse statement, written in a Bible 
belonging to the family, tells briefly and quaintly 
the sad result: "On the 9th of June, A. D. 1778, 
John Thompson departed this life. Was killed 
and scalped by ye tory and Indians at Shemokem." 
The son John was afterward bound out as an 
apprentice to a tailor in Readington. He mar- 
ried before he was twenty-one, and later bought 
the farm Brookye, later known as Pleasant Run. 
This place he owned and lived upon the remain- 
der of his life. He was a justice of the peace 
more than a score of years, and was judge of the 
Hunterdon County court for a period of thirty- 
two years. 

From his boyhood Judge Thompson gave prom- 
ise of unusual talents and diversified genius. 
Born September 30, 1808, he worked at the loom 
that he might earn money for the purchase of 
books necessary in his studies; later taught dis- 
trict schools in this county; at various times was 
a surveyor, and in 1857 moved to the farm where 
he made his home for fifty-six years. This prop- 
erty was formerly the home of his wife's grand- 
father, Abraham Post, a hero of the Revolutionary 
war. When he was but twenty-eight the judge 
became associated with his father as judge of the 
Hunterdon County court. This position he held 
for fifteen years, and then, as the house he occu- 
pied was found to be on the Somerset County side 
of the boundary line, he served for a like period in 
the courts of that county. In the course of his 
life he settled numerous estates, and it is a notable 
fact that so mature and just were his judgments 
that no decision ever given by him was ever 
finally reversed. He was an intense believer in 
the ultimate triumph of the right, and did all in 
his power to bring about such a happy state of 
affairs. In all public questions he did his duty 
as a citizen and patriot, furthering all movements 
of progress that were founded on truth and good- 
ness, and always having due regard for the wel- 
fare of others. A man of deep religious nature, 
he was an elder in the Reformed Church and a 
leader in all its departments of useful activity. 
For sixty-eight years he was very much con- 



204 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



cerned in the management of the Sunday-school 
at Pleasant Run, he having been the originator of 
the school and a regular attendant, rarely miss- 
ing a meeting save for illness. 

In 1830 Judge Thompson married Ann Post. 
They had eight children, two of whom died in 
infancy. Three of his sons became ministers of 
the Gospel. Rev. John Bodine Thompson, D. D., 
of Trenton, N. J., is engaged in literary work, 
and his name is known in foreign lands as well as 
in America. Rev. Abraham Thompson, for 
many years pastor of a church at Pella, Iowa, 
and later, in New York City, died a few years 
ago at his father's residence. Rev. Henry Post 
Thompson, formerly in charge of a congregation 
in Peapack, was afflicted with paralysis in later 
life. He was the author of several volumes of 
most noble purpose, that of uplifting and making 
better his fellow-men. Aaron J., of this biogra- 
phy, has been previous^ mentioned at length. 
One of Judge Thompson's daughters is the wife 
of P. H. Bousquet, an eminent lawyer, of Pella, 
Iowa; and the other is the wife of Aaron Hoff- 
man, of this township. The father of these chil- 
dren was summoned to his reward October 23, 
1893- 



-4— J »>3+M' 



HENRY ATEN is, without question, one of 
the most progressive, wide-awake and 
business-like citizens of Hope Township, 
Warren Count}'. For nearly thirty years he has 
owned and carried on the boundary farm formerly 
known as the Bulkley homestead, and is still 
dwelling thereon. In addition to managing this 
large and valuable farm he operates an iron 
foundry and machine shop, where he manufact- 
ures all kinds of farm machinery and imple- 
ments. He owns another well-improved farm in 
this township, and owes to himself alone the 
success that now crowns his years of toil. His 
motto has always been, apparently, "work and 



perseverance," and certainly, labor and pluck ac- 
complish wonders when persistence in any given 
line of action is added thereto. 

The senior Henry Aten was a native of this 
township, and was engaged in agricultural avoca- 
tions within its boundaries during his whole life- 
time. He provided well for his large family, 
rearing his children to become sterling citizens 
and desirable residents of any community. His 
ballot he used in favor of the principles set forth 
by the Democracy. He was a faithful member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died at the 
age of fifty-eight years, regretted and loved by all 
who had known him. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Sarah Henry, her father having been 
John Henry. She died at the age of forty-four 
years and of her nine children only four survive. 
Herbert is the eldest of them, and his home is in 
Susquehanna County, Pa. Caroline is the wife 
of Benjamin Treadwell; and Margaret is the wife 
of L- Scott. The father of Henry Aten, Sr., was 
Herbert Aten, a native of Knowlton Township, 
and a farmer throughout his active life. 

Henry Aten of this sketch was born upon his 
father's farm in Hope Township, September 27, 
1838, and there he learned at an early age to- 
handle the plow and to wield other implements 
which he has since been engaged in manufactur- 
ing in extensive quantities. When he was about 
eighteen he began an apprenticeship to the car- 
penter's trade, following the same for twelve 
years with slight interruption. In 1870 he pur- 
chased the farm where he may still be found, and 
ere many years had rolled away he had made a 
place for himself among the representative agri- 
culturists of this section. He also gained the 
respect and admiration of all his associates, and 
has often been called upon by them to hold offices 
of honor and trust. For several years he has 
served on the town committee and in 1895 was 
elected a freeholder, his term to run three years. 
Socially he is identified with the Hope Tribe 
No. 52, Order of Red Men, and has been keeper 
of the wampum. He is also a member of Inde- 
pendence Lodge No. 42, F. & A. M. 

January 8, 1870, Mr. Aten married Elizabeth 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



205 



V., daughter of Daniel S. Ayers, and two chil- 
dren grace their union, Lulu and H. Floyd. The 
family attend Hope Methodist Episcopal Church, 
the parents being active members of the congre- 
gation. Mr. Aten has been a trustee and steward 
of the church, and has been zealous in the work. 
He enjoys the love and respect of a large circle of 
neighbors and friends, who have been drawn to 
him by the ties of many long years of pleasant 
association. He merits their good will, for his 
deeds and words have ever been exerted toward 
the betterment of mankind, and not towards his 
own selfish aggrandizement. 



GlARON HOFFMAN has been for nearly 
LI forty years engaged in cultivating his desir- 
/ I able farm in Readington Township, Hunter- 
don County. The success that he has achieved 
entitles him to rank among the most capable busi- 
ness men of this vicinity, and his worthy, blame- 
less life deserves the commendation of all, as it 
most freely receives from those who have known 
him best. He was born in this county, in 
January, 1S33, and is a son of Peter and Amy 
Hoffman. The Hoffmans have long been identi- 
fied with the development and prosperity of this 
county, and are notable for their sterling 
qualities as citizens and patriots. The father of 
our subject was a farmer and life-long resident of 
Tewksbury Township. Of his children six 
survive: Aaron, Frederick, George, Peter; Emily, 
Mrs. Jacob Philhower; and Mary, Mrs. Wesley 
Fisher. 

In his boyhood Aaron Hoffman did not have 
the educational advantages which are now 
afforded every child, but he made the best of such 
as he possessed, and by private reading and 
observation became well informed. He early 
learned the duties of farm life and devoted him- 
self assiduously to agriculture. Since i860 he 



has given his time and attention to the carrying 
on of the farm where he may be found to-day, 
and he may well be proud of the thrifty appear- 
ance of everything about the place. The farm 
comprises one hundred and thirty-one acres, and 
is furnished with good buildings, fences, etc. 
Like his father before him he is a Republican. 
He is public-spirited and takes an active part in all 
local affairs, having served as a trustee of his 
school district in order to manifest the interest 
which he has in the proper education of the rising 
generation. 

Mr. Hoffman has been twice married, his first 
wife having been Mary Ann Hildebraut in her 
maidenhood. They had three children, of whom 
one is deceased, while the others are Nathaniel 
B. K., a graduate of Rutgers College, of New 
Brunswick, N. J., and a civil engineer by profes- 
sion; and Emalida, wife of J. F. Voorhees. The 
present wife of our subject was formerly Miss M. 
Eliza Thompson, daughter of Judge Joseph 
Thompson, recently deceased. (See his sketch on 
another page of this volume.) Mr. and Mrs. 
Hoffman are valued members of the Reformed 
Church of Readington. The former has served 
the congregation in the capacities of elder and 
deacon, and is literally one of the pillars of the 
church. He enjoys the love and high esteem of 
all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance, as 
does also his estimable wife. 



Gl BRAM S. CASE, of Three Bridges, Hunter- 
I I don County, is a wide-awake, enterprising 
/ 1 young business man. He is thoroughly in- 
terested in the promotion of local prosperity and 
improvements and can always be relied upon to 
do his full share toward the upbuilding and ad- 
vancement of his community. He has been too 
much occupied in his diversified business affairs 
to take any active part in politics, and is quite in- 



206 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dependent of party ties, preferring to give his sup- 
port to the men whom he deems best qualified to 
represent the people, regardless of their part}' affil- 
iations. 

The parents of our subject were Jacob and Mar- 
garet (Schomp) Case. The father was born and 
reared in Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, 
and from the time that he arrived at manhood he 
was occupied in agricultural pursuits. He has 
favored the Republican party, and has been a 
freeholder for several years, though he has not 
been at all desirous of holding public office. Of 
his children four are living, viz. : Clarinda, wife 
of George N. Smith, of Easton, Pa. ; Anthony L- , 
a farmer and auditor of this county; Abram S , 
and Anna H., who is at home. 

Abram S. Case was born in Raritan Township, 
this county, September 26, i860. He was first 
a pupil in the public schools, but later attended 
private institutions of learning in Flemington and 
Somerville, owing to his earnest wish to have 
better advantages than were afforded by the com- 
mon schools. After he had worked for about a 
year on the farm, he concluded that that business 
was not to his taste, and that he could find an oc- 
cupation in which his natural financial talents 
might be better employed. In 1885 he bought 
the hotel at Three Bridges, and has since con- 
ducted the same very successfully. Eater he com- 
menced dealing in grain, hay, feed,' coal, farm 
machinery, etc., and though not located in a large 
town, he transacts an extensive business in these 
various lines, it amounting to $50,000 or $60,000 
and sometimes $75,000 a year. During a season 
he has had pressed as high as five thousand tons 
of hay, his shipments running over five hundred 
car-loads. He handles some fancy driving stock, 
and his excellent judgment in the selection of 
young horses has made him noted throughout this 
section as an authority on the subject. In short, 
he brings to bear upon every enterprise rare exec- 
utive ability and native shrewdness and pene- 
tration. 

December 27, 1883, Mr. Case married Martha 
W., daughter of John D. and Elizabeth (Kuhl) 
Van Eiew, formerly of this county, but now of 



Des Moines, Iowa. Six children were born to 
our subject and wife: Elizabeth V. L., October 
5, 1884; Jacob L., May 15, 1886; Margery C, 
March 28, 1889 (died March 19, 1897); Martha 
K., October 28, i892;Pauline, November22, 1894, 
and Ruth, December 16, 1896. Mrs. Case is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church, to which her 
husband is a regular and generous contributor. 



EWIS C. POTTS. Among the leading 
It agriculturists of Readington Township, 
|_J Hunterdon County, ranks the gentleman 
whose name heads this review. He has always 
been identified with the upbuilding and progress 
of this section, as here it was that his infancy 
and youth were spent, and here he has made his 
home in manhood. His ancestors, too, for sev- 
eral generations were numbered with the enter- 
prising citizens of the county, and, as a family, 
have ever been noted for sterling qualities which 
command the respect of all with whom they have 
any dealings whatever. 

Born August 19, 1851, Lewis C. Potts is the 
sixth in order of birth in the family of eight 
children whose parents were Joseph and Catherine 
(Manning) Potts, both natives of Hunterdon 
County. The others are as follows: Susan, 
Christiana, Mary, Jane, Martha, Ella (deceased) 
and Francis. The father of Joseph Potts was 
William Potts, a well-to-do farmer of this town- 
ship. Joseph Potts was himself an influential 
man in his neighborhood; owned a large and de- 
sirable homestead and served in the capacity of 
committeeman several years. 

From his earl}' years Lewis C. Potts has been 
accustomed to the routine work of a farm, and is 
now a progressive and practical business man. 
He owns a valuable homestead of eighty-six 
acres, it being situated not far from the thrifty 
town of Stanton. In 1895 he was elected a free- 




DAVID S. BELIJS. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



209 



holder, his term of office to run for three years, 
and previously he was a member of the committee 
of appeals two terms. In political affairs he uses 
his franchise on behalf of Democratic nominees. 
He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, belonging to Sunnyside Dodge No. 234, 
and is also connected with the Farmers' Alliance 
and the Masonic lodge at Flemingtou. 

October 25, 1S76, Mr. Potts married Jane 
McCloughan, who was born and reared to 
womanhood in this immediate vicinity. They 
are the parents of one child, a son, John 
McCloughan. Mrs. Potts is a lady who is be- 
loved by all who know her, and is a great worker 
in the Reformed Church of Stanton, where she 
holds membership. The McCloughans origi- 
nated in Ireland, the great-grandfather of Mrs. 
Potts, Dr. John McCloughan, having come to 
America in the early days of the annals of New 
Jersey, and settled upon a large tract of land 
which he purchased near Clinton. 



sS|$£N* 



survivor. The father was an elder in the same 
church with which David S. has long been con- 
nected. 

David S. Bellis of this sketch was born in 
Raritan Township, near Copper Hill, January 
11, 1819, and from his early years he was thor- 
oughly familiarized with every detail of agri- 
cultural work. He remained on the farm with 
his father until he was thirty years of age, when 
he married. He then managed the old home- 
stead for some twelve years, and afterward pur- 
chased the farm in Raritan Township which he 
still owns. He continued to live thereuntil 1882, 
when he retired and came to Flemington. Be- 
sides owning the one hundred acres in the farm 
just mentioned, he owns a homestead in Fleming- 
ton. In politics he is a Republican; he has never 
been ambitious of holding official positions, and 
merely strives to do his duty as a voter. He is 
a member of the Presbyterian Church of Fast 
Amwell, having been connected with the same 
for sixty years. October 10, 1849, h e married 
Ann Marsh, and their only child, Flla, is the wife 
of Augustus Van Saut. 



►-» •v2hK®$§|§®H<» « — ^ 



0AVID S. BEDLIS is one of the oldest and 
most respected farmers of Hunterdon Coun- 
ty, and for the past few years has been liv- 
ing retired from active labors, making his dwell- 
ing-place in Flemington. For several genera- 
tions his family have been numbered among the 
citizens of the county, and his grandfather, Will- 
iam Bellis, who was a native of this locality, was 
a soldier in the Revolutionary war. 

The parents of our subject were likewise born 
and reared in Hunterdon County, and owned a 
good farm in Raritan Township, not far distant 
from Flemington. They were named respectively 
David and Eleanora (Schenck) Bellis, and their 
children were nine in number and as follows: 
Ralph S., Catherine, John W., Mary, Margaret, 
Elizabeth A., David S., Garrett and Hiram. Of 
the entire family circle, our subject is the only 



NON. DAVID LAWSHE. In the fall of 1897 
this respected citizen of Stockton, Hunter- 
don County, was elected to represent this 
district in the state legislature. He was a candi- 
date of the Democratic party, and was elected by 
a handsome majority. His service on behalf of 
the public is well and favorably known in this 
portion of the state, extending, as it has, over a 
period of nearly twenty years. Early in the 'Sos 
he was elected and for four years was the clerk of 
elections; in 1888 he was elected to the office of 
township collector and during the succeeding five 
years was a member of the board of commis- 
sioners and of appeals. His attitude on the sub- 
ject of better facilities and a higher standard of 
instruction of the rising generation being known 



2IO 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and commended by the people, they chose him 
to act on the local board of education, electing 
him for a term of three years, beginning with the 
spring of 1896. In everything tending to ad- 
vance the good of the community where he has 
always dwelt he is actively interested, casting his 
influence on the side of progress. 

The birth of David Lawshe occurred near 
Ringoes, September 28, 1844. He is the young- 
est of seven children, whose parents were David 
and Elizabeth A. (Hice) Lawshe. But two of 
the sisters of our subject are now living, viz.: 
Lydia, wife of B. A. Holcombe and Emeline, 
wife of John M. Wilson. The father was a native 
of this township, and was occupied in farming up 
to the time of his death, which event took place 
four months before the birth of our subject. The 
lad grew to manhood under the loving guidance 
of his mother, and his elementary education was 
gained in the public schools. Later he was a 
student in the Trenton Business College, and 
soon after leaving there he found employment as 
a clerk in a hardware store in Lambertville. This 
position he kept during the next three years, 
after which he removed to the old Lawshe home- 
stead. Eight years he cultivated and managed 
the farm, gaining quite a reputation as an agri- 
culturist. In the spring of 1S79 he became man- 
ager of a branch of a Lambertville mercantile 
store owned by Mr. Fisher. Three years later 
this store was sold out, and for a short period 
our subject was employed by Mr. Fisher in Lam- 
bertville. About this time he found himself in 
such a financial condition that he decided to 
invest some of his means in the handle factory 
which had been established by Charles T. Fisher 
here some twelve years previously, and this en- 
terprise has been conducted by Mr. Lawshe since 
in an advantageous manner. 

November 10, 1870, Mr. Lawshe married 
Sarah Elizabeth Fisher, daughter of Johnson 
Fisher, of this town. To their union one child 
has been born, Mary Belle, who is at home with 
them. Religiously Mr. Lawshe is a Presbyterian, 
for twenty-three years has been an elder in the 
same church; for twelve years has been a mem- 



ber of the board of trustees and for twenty-four 
years has been superintendent of the Sunday- 
school. In the Odd Fellows' lodge of this place 
he has filled all the chairs and is besides a mem- 
ber of the Masonic order and the Royal Arca- 
num. He enjoys the esteem and confidence of 
all who know him, and is an upright, honorable, 
patriotic man and citizen, of whom any commun- 
ity might justly be proud. 



(TAMES R. KLINE, deceased, was numbered 
I among the representative citizens of Hunter- 
G/ don County during his entire lifetime. For 
several generations the Klines have been active, 
progressive business men of this section of New 
Jersey, noted for traits of honesty, sobriety, in- 
dustry and patriotism. The sterling old citizen 
of whom we write was no exception to this rule, 
and was loved and respected by all with whom 
he came in contact. 

The parents of the above were Henry M. and 
Sarah (Ramsey) Kline, both natives of Hunter- 
don Count}'. The former was engaged in mer- 
chandising here for many years with success, and 
died February 29, 1848. His wife survived him 
several years, being called to her reward May 22, 
1872. James R. Kline was born in 1827 in 
Klinesville, Hunterdon Count}'. His early edu- 
cation was obtained in the vicinity of his old 
home and was finished in the schools of Fleming- 
ton. When he was a young man he came to 
Clinton and started in business as a clerk in a 
store. He spent several years in that position, 
and in the meantime allowed no opportunity to 
pass whereby he might advance himself in knowl- 
edge of financial affairs and proper methods of 
conducting the same. When the First National 
Bank of Clinton was organized he became One of 
the directors, and upon the death of the president 
of that institution, Mr. Foster, he was chosen to 
act in his stead. From that time until death put 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



211 



an end to his labors he most creditably discharged 
the duties of this responsible place. He was for 
years a member of Stewart Lodge, F. & A. M. 

In i860 Mr. Kline married Frances Aletta 
Dunham, a daughter of Aaron and Cather- 
ine (Kline) Dunham. Aaron Dunham was 
born in this county and came from a family 
that settled here in the eighteenth century, 
and were thereafter thoroughly associated with 
the best interests of western New Jersey. Mrs. 
Catherine Dunham was also a native of this 
county, and was a daughter of an honorable old 
family in this section. Mrs. Kline is one of eight 
children born to her parents, and is still making 
her home in Clinton, where death bereaved her 
of her kind and loving husband May 23, 1895. 
As they had no children they adopted and brought 
up as their own child James C. Field, now a prom- 
ising young business man (a druggist) of Somer- 
ville, N. J. They also adopted Sarah E. Dun- 
ham, who is still living with her foster-mother, 
and is her loved companion, confidant and friend. 
Mrs. Kline has been for many years a faithful 
member of the Presbyterian Church, a valued 
worker in the same and a generous subscriber to 
its various charities. 



pQlLLIAM LAUER, manager and part owner 
\Al °f tne Spoke Manufacturing Company of 
VV Lambertville, Hunterdon County, is one 
of the representative citizens of this place. In 
tracing the history of himself and family a most 
unusual example of patriotism is to be noted: that 
his paternal grandfather, Philip Lauer, who was 
born in America, but was of German descent, 
was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, serv- 
ing under Washington; Rev. William Lauer, 
father of our subject, was a hero of the War of 
1812, and he of whom we write served in the Civil 
war. 

Rev. William Lauer was a native of Philadel- 



phia, received a liberal education in the city 
schools, and in his youth became connected with 
the Mount Zion Christian Church on Christian 
street. Later he was a zealous and energetic 
minister of the church, and was actively engaged 
in the work of saving souls for over fifty years. 
He became quite famed for his enthusiastic min- 
istry, and preached in various parts of his native 
state and in New Jersey. He founded the Chris- 
tian Churches at Carversville, Pa., and another in 
Finesville, N. J. Starting in the pastoral field 
before he was twenty, he continued until shortly 
before his death, at the age of seventy-seven 
years. Late in life he drew a pension for his 
services in the War of 1812. He was twice mar- 
ried, and was the father of seventeen children. 

William Lauer of this sketch is a son of his 
father's second marriage, his mother being Mary 
(Bowers) Lauer. Of his brothers and sisters 
eleven grew to maturity and but five are now liv- 
ing. He was born in Bucks County, Pa., March 
2, 1843, and was only eight years old when his 
family removed to Burlington County, N. J. 
There he remained until the beginning of the 
Civil war, receiving a fair education in the public 
schools. April 18, 1861, he was among the very 
first in the land to respond to the president's call 
for troops, by presenting himself for enlistment in 
the Company I, Twenty-third Pennsylvania In- 
fantry. He was assigned to guard duty on the 
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad until June, and was 
at Harper's Ferry with Patterson, thus missing 
the battle of Bull Run, but took part in several 
skirmishes in Winchester, Martinsburg, etc. 
After receiving his honorable discharge he served 
until the close of the war in the government em- 
ploy, six months in the forage department at 
Fortress Monroe, and was then sent with the Four- 
teenth Army Corps to the front of Richmond and 
Petersburg. During Grant's Cold Harbor cam- 
paign he had charge of the ammunition trains, 
and later he was with Butler at Bermuda Hun- 
dred in charge of land transportation. 

When the clouds of war had rolled away, our 
subject returned to this state, and for a time 
worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the track 



212 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



construction department. Subsequently he came 
to this county, and commenced working in a saw- 
mill, and in 1868 moved to Lambertville, where 
he has since made his home. At first he was em- 
ployed in the concern with which he is connected 
at this time, as a mechanic, at $g a week, but at 
the end of two years he was placed in charge 
of the shipping department. This position he faith- 
fully held ten years, then being made a member 
of the firm in recognition of his fidelity, and put 
at the head of the manufacturing plant. During 
the twenty-nine years he has been connected with 
this enterprise the business has developed re- 
markably and whereas twenty men were formerly 
employed over six times as many are now neces- 
sary to handle the trade. They have a very large 
foreign trade, which is yearly increasing, and 
have constantly more orders on hand than they can 
fill. At the time that Mr. Lauer became a mem- 
ber of the firm the others chiefly interested were 
Messrs. Finney and Clossen, the former of whom 
died in 1884, while the latter withdrew from the 
business 1893. After the death of Mr. Finney, 
Mr. Lauer took entire charge of the business, and 
the management has since been in his hands. 

As his father was a strong Abolitionist and 
Republican, our subject early imbibed his prin- 
ciples, and cast his first presidential ballot for 
Lincoln. He belongs to the order of Red Men, 
and to the Grand Army of the Republic. July 
25, 1867, he married Hannah M., daughter of 
Jacob and Sarah (Lair) Crouse, of Milford, N. J. 
They have one child, a daughter, Cynthia, who 
is at home. 



0BADIAH H. SPROUL, M. D., ex-president 
of the New Jersey Medical Society, is one of 
the most distinguished members of the pro- 
fession in this portion of the United States. He 
has been a regular attendant at the meetings of 
this organization for over thirty years and served 



as an officer of the same for some years. His 
elevation to the presidency was a just recognition 
of his devotion to the field of medical practice 
and his high standing therein. The state so- 
ciety numbers many of the brightest and most 
able men in the medical world, and its proximity 
to the great centers of medical research and 
learning, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, 
keeps it fully abreast of the latest discoveries in 
the healing science. 

Dr. Sproul was born in Middlesex County, N. 
J., in 1844, being a son of Rev. Samuel Sproul, a 
well-known Baptist clergyman, and grandson of 
Oliver Sproul, a farmer and mechanic of Mon- 
mouth County, N. J. The family is of Scotch- 
Irish stock. The doctor's mother was a Miss 
Holmes, of Monmouth County, and was a de- 
scendant of good old New England stock, sev- 
eral of her ancestors having made records in the 
war of the Revolution. 

After leaving the public schools the doctor pre- 
pared for college under the direction of his father, 
who was a scholar and a man of much more than 
ordinary attainments. The young man was en- 
gaged in teaching in the public schools for two 
years, and in the meantime took up medical 
studies. In 1866 he graduated from the medical 
department of the University of Pennsylvania. 
Then for the long period of twenty-four years he 
was a practitioner of Stockton, on the Delaware 
River, and in 1890 he came to Flemington, suc- 
ceeding to the practice of the late Dr. Shannon. 
Owing to the fact that there are extensive stone 
quarries along the Delaware River, much surgical 
work is demanded, and in this direction the 
doctor is especially well posted and experienced. 

From his early manhood the doctor has been 
interested actively in promoting the good of the 
Republican party. Frequently he has been called 
upon to serve in county conventions, and in 1894 
he was elected surrogate of Hunterdon County, 
receiving a majority of over one hundred and 
fifty votes. This was the more remarkable as 
the county usually has a Democratic majority ot 
from eighteen to twenty-four hundred votes. 
For twenty years, when he was living in Stock- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



213 



ton, he was the clerk of the district, and for 
years he has been identified with the public 
school system. He is past master of Orpheus 
Lodge No. 137, F. & A. M.; is past high priest of 
Wilson Chapter No. 13, R. A. M. , and is a mem- 
ber of St. Elmo Commandery No. 14, K. T. , of 
Lambertville. Religiously he is connected with 
the Baptist Church. 

In 1S68 Dr. Sproul married Amy H. Dilts, 
and three children blessed their union: Florence 
M., wife of V. C. Hyde, of Flemiugton; Eleanor 
C. and Samuel H. L. The son is deceased. 



*F^£N^ 



q) EORGE L. BELL, deputy county clerk of 
™ Hunterdon County, is a highly respected 
^Jl citizen of Flemington, in which town he 
has made his home for the past thirteen 
years. He has been devoted to the interests of 
the Democracy since he arrived at mature years, 
and has ever been a sincere friend of the people. 

A native of the Empire state, Mr. Bell was 
born in Rochester, November 29, 1850, and re- 
ceived his education in the common schools of 
that cit)'. Coming to the state of New Jersey 
about the time that he reached his majority, he 
settled m Somerville, and there took up legal 
studies. He was admitted to the bar during the 
year of the Centennial, and at once started in 
upon his career as a practitioner, meeting with 
fair success from the first. 

His ability was soon recognized and in 1882 he 
was employed in the clerk's office of Union Coun- 
ty, serving in that office for five years with credit. 
In 1885, having removed to Hunterdon County 
in the meantime, he was appointed deputy clerk 
of this county, and has acted in that capacity up 
to the present. He has given complete satisfac- 
tion to his superiors, and of late years almost the 
whole business pertaining to the office has de- 
volved upon his shoulders. However, being 



thoroughly trustworthy and capable, he has no 
difficulty in meeting all the requirements of the 
position, and is a general favorite with all who 
have business dealings with him. 



~~+-i »>*>(©)•;«<• e— S— 



EHARLES E. CONNET, of Readington 
Village, Hunterdon County, is one of her 
most enterprising young business men. He 
takes great interest in everything pertaining to 
the upbuilding and development of this portion of 
the state, and does his full share in the promotion 
of its prosperity. In March, 1894, he was elected 
on the Republican ticket to the office of collector 
of Readington Township, his term to run for three 
years. While serving in that responsible position 
he acquitted himself most acceptably, and won 
the approval of his political opponents as well as 
the commendation of those of his own party who 
had given him their support at the polls. 

The birth of our subject occurred on the old 
homestead of the family in this township, Septem- 
ber 25, 1855, his parents being Samuel and 
Hannah (Thompson) Connet, sterling old settlers 
of this region. The father spent most of his life 
in this immediate locality, and for a long period 
was occupied in the management of his farm in 
Readington Township. His father, Samuel, Sr. , 
was of English descent and was a soldier in the 
War of 18 12. Samuel Connet, Jr., was a Repub- 
lican, and was a patriotic citizen. To him- 
self he owed the prosperity that crowned his 
old age, for he had been a great worker and by 
his well-directed efforts gradually acquired a 
competence. A member of the Reformed Church 
of Readington, he aided in its support by his 
influence and money, and was never slow to re- 
spond to the request of the poor and needy for 
assistance. To his widow and children he left a 
valuable and well-improved farm, and what is 
much better, an honorable and unblemished name. 
His labors completed, and his busy and useful 



214 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



life-work done, he was summoned to his reward, 
December 18, 1887. His widow, who was loved 
and highly respected in this vicinity, was born 
March 29, 1817, being a daughter of Andrew and 
Susan (Lane) Thompson, both natives of this 
county. She died March 9, 1897. Her great- 
grandfather, Harmon Lane, is believed to have 
been the first settler on the above mentioned farm. 
Her marriage with Samuel Connet was solemn- 
ized January 10, 1835, and of their nine children 
five are still living. Eleanor A. is the wife of 
W. H. Post, of Batavia, N. Y.; Andrew T. is a 
resident of Flemington, N. J.; John L. lives in 
the town of Flemington; and Sarah is the wife of 
Peter S. Hyler. Stephen, Susan, Peter and 
William are deceased. 



(TOHN LUNGER, deceased, was a member of 
I the common council of Clinton, Hunterdon 
Q) County, and also of the board of education, 
in both of these places manifesting a high regard 
for the advancement of our local affairs and a 
commendable concern in that important matter of 
the education of children. Wherever he was 
known his name stood for all that is right, pro- 
gressive, patriotic and of lasting benefit to the 
public. 

John Lunger was born in the town of Blooms- 
bury, Hunterdon County, iii 1846. His father, 
George G. Lunger, was likewise a native of this 
county, and at one period held the position of 
sheriff of this region. Both in the capacity of a 
public official and as a private citizen he won the 
good will of all his associates, and his demise was 
a loss to his community. His wife, formerly Re- 
becca Lawshe, came from an old and respected 
family in this county, and here she was born and 
reared. She is still living and in the enjoyment 
of reasonably good health, though she is over 
fourscore years. 

Until he was about sixteen John Lunger re- 



mained on the home place, attending the common 
schools. Having determined to seek some other 
means of earning his livelihood than that of farm- 
ing, he commenced serving an apprenticeship to 
the harness-maker's trade. In 1870 he located 
in Clinton, and afterward not only dealt in har- 
ness, blankets, lap-robes and other similar sup- 
plies, but also carried on a boot and shoe depart- 
ment and a gentlemen's furnishing goods depart- 
ment. He carried a well-selected and varied 
assortment of goods in these lines, and had a re- 
munerative trade. He had an abiding faith in 
the superiority of the principles of the Republican 
party, with which organization he was associated 
during his entire life. The only offices he held 
were those mentioned above, member of the coun- 
cil three years and clerk of the board of education. 
He was a member of the Masonic order, belong- 
ing to the blue lodge. 

In 1874 Mr. Lunger married Miss Jennie Har- 
dy, daughter of William and Margaret (Berry) 
Hardy, all natives of this county and highly re- 
spected citizens. The only child of our subject 
and wife is Emma F., who with her mother holds 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church 
of this place and is an active worker. Mr. Lun- 
ger was a trustee of the congregation for twelve 
years and was a liberal contributor to the finan- 
cial needs of the church. His death occurred 
March 24, 1896. 



HOWARD LAKE, ex-member of the 
New Jersey state legislature and ex-sher- 
iff of Hunterdon County, is the genial and 
popular proprietor of Lake's Hotel, in Fleming- 
ton. This well-equipped house was erected by 
him in 1895, and though there were already two 
other large and flourishing hostelries in the town, 
it came into prominence at once, partly owing to 
the esteem in which the owner is held, and partly 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



215 



owing to the fact that everything about the hotel 
is thoroughly modern and up-to-date and con- 
ducted in a business-like manner. 

The Lake family is of English origin, and at a 
remote period in the history of the United States, 
three brothers of the name came to seek perma- 
nent homes for themselves and children in this, 
the land of promise. One of the brothers settled 
in Long Island, another in Philadelphia, and the 
third in Delaware Township, this county. From 
the last- mentioned our subject is descended. 
Cornelius Lake, great-grandfather of W. H., was 
an influential man in his day and community, and 
was constantly consulted by his neighbors in re- 
gard to their property interests, deeds, wills, etc. 
He was himself an extensive land-owner and 
farmer, and his son John, next in the line of de- 
scent, followed closely in the senior man's foot- 
steps in all things. John Lake married Ann 
Dilts, and their children were: Ezuba Jane, who 
married John Fauss, of Delaware Township; Ja- 
cob; Nancy, wife of John Sweazy, of Delaware 
Township; Susan, Mrs. John Clawson, of Penn- 
sylvania; and Mary. They are all deceased. 

Jacob Lake married Sarah Ann, daughter of 
Abner Ross, a well-to-do farmer of Bucks Coun- 
ty, Pa., and they became the parents of the sub- 
ject of this article. The father was a distiller of 
all kinds of grain and fruit in his early manhood, 
and later devoted himself exclusively to agricult- 
ural pursuits. Favoring the Democratic party 
he was of great assistance in local campaigns, but 
would never accept official positions for himself. 
His widow is still living and enjoys good health, 
though she was born in October, 181 7, and is 
consequently past fourscore years. She has 
three sous living: Martin Harris, a carriage- 
maker in Copper Hill, N. J.; J. Ross, proprietor 
of the Windsor House in Washington, N. J., and 
W. Howard, of this sketch. 

The birth of our subject occurred in Delaware 
Township, Hunterdon County, April 21, 1850. 
Early in life he started out to make his own liveli- 
hood, and it is a fact of unusual note that he has 
never yet worked for wages or on a salary for an- 
other. His first financial venture was to invest 



his small savings in live stock, and before he was 
twenty he had accumulated quite a sum of money. 
At that time he started out as a miller, and, hav- 
ing mastered the details of the business, worked 
at the calling most industriously for about twenty 
years. In the meantime he also conducted a 
large farm and was engaged in raising and deal- 
ing in stock. In 1882 he bought a homestead, 
which he still owns. The hotel which he has 
owned and carried on for the past three years is 
one of the most pleasant that it is the lot of the 
traveling public to meet in many a day. It is 
fitted up with steam heat, electric lights and all 
the appointments of a first-class hotel of the pe- 
riod, and is largely patronized in the summer 
season by wealthy New Yorkers, fleeing from the 
discomforts of city life in hot weather, but desir- 
ous of a comfortable home. 

November 5, 1873, Mr. Lake married Addie S. 
Wilson, of Oak Grove, Hunterdon County, daugh- 
ter of Josiah and Mary A. Wilson, members of 
the Society of Friends. Mrs. Lake is also identi- 
fied with the Friends, and is much loved by all 
who know her. The only son of Mr. and Mrs. 
Lake died in 1880, aged four years. Their only 
daughter, Blanche, is exceptionally bright and 
business-like, and is ol material help to her father, 
as she purchases the necessary supplies for the 
hotel. She is an active worker in the Presbyte- 
rian Church. 

In politics Mr. Lake adheres to the creed of his 
father, and his work for the success of his party 
has been frequently recognized in his being elect- 
ed to various important offices. The first nomi- 
nation which he was prevailed upon to accept 
was that of candidate to the legislature in 1882. 
He was duly elected and served most satisfactor- 
ily for three terms, and in 1888 was nominated 
for sheriff. There were eight candidates and he 
received a majority vote of forty-eight over all the 
others, but at the ensuing election he was defeat- 
ed by about one hundred votes. In 1891 he was 
again nominated for the same position and re- 
ceived ninety-two of the one hundred and five 
votes of delegates, thus making it practically 
unanimous, as many of the other votes were com- 



2l6 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



plimentary to a favorite aspirant for the office. 
In former elections he had taken no active part, 
but this time worked with his friends and was 
elected by a large majority, and held the place 
for the term of three years. Fraternally he is a 
member of Lackatong Lodge No. 94, I. O. O. F. 



cJODFRIED W. GEBHARDT is one of the 
_ honored German-American citizens of Hun- 
^_J terdon County who have been very influen- 
tial in the progress and development of its best 
interests and business prosperity. For over a 
quarter of a century he has made his home in 
Clinton, where he has carried on a boot and shoe 
business. He is loyal to the flag of his adopted 
country and truly patriotic in every sense. It 
has often been pointed out that the English 
people owe much of their best blood, ideas, phi- 
losophy and literature even, to the influence of 
the German and Saxon element, and true it is 
that the people of this fair land owe, in addition 
to this, much of the sturdy self-respect and 
prominence among civilized nations to the pres- 
ence and intermingling with us of the sons of the 
Fatherland. They are noted for their independ- 
ence, honesty and industry; loyalty to good law 
and order, and everything which goes to make a 
reliable citizen, one that can be depended upon 
to do his duty in times of peace and war alike. 

Born in the province of Wittenberg, Germany, 
our subject is the son of Christian and Sophia 
(Algier) Gebhardt, who were of the same locality, 
and spent their entire lives in the home of their 
childhood. The date of the birth of young God- 
fried is October 9, 1830, and in 1844, when he 
was consequently in his fifteenth year, he left the 
shelter of the parental roof and for a period as- 
sisted an uncle in the management of his farm. 
Thence, going to the capital of Suttgardt, he 
worked in that city until he was seventeen, when 
he returned home. During the next two years 



he learned the shoemaker's trade, and concluded 
that he would seek a home and livelihood in the 
New World. At first he located on Staten 
Island, being there for a year or more. 

The youth sustained many severe trials for the 
first few years of his abode in this land. He had 
little knowledge of the language, he was quite 
inexperienced as a workman, and everything 
seemed to work against his success for a long 
time. He received but $2 a month, then $3 
for several months, and once, after working 
very industriously and steadily for two months, 
his employer would pay him only half of the 
amount they had agreed upon, which was 
only $4 for the two months at that. The lad 
possessed the right spirit, and though he was 
naturally somewhat discouraged, he did not give 
up for a moment, but resolutely determined that 
he would wrest success from failure itself, if per- 
severance and will and work counted for any- 
thing. July 8, 1851, he landed in the vicinity 
of Clinton, and after following his trade in differ- 
ent parts of the country for eleven years, in 1862 
he located permanently in Clinton. Since that 
year he has conducted a boot and leather busi- 
ness in connection with his trade and has been 
prospered. He was careful of his earnings and 
investments, and at length became the owner of 
considerable good business property here. In 
1861 a disastrous fire swept one of the prominent 
streets of Clinton, and five store buildings belong- 
ing to Mr. Gebhardt were destroyed. He im- 
mediately rebuilt two stores and two dwelling 
houses to replace the former structures, and was 
soon on his feet financially. He carries a large 
and well-selected stock of boots and shoes, and 
commands a large share of the trade of this sec- 
tion, being recognized as the leader in his line in 
Clinton. 

March 11, 1854, Mr. Gebhardt married Jane 
Cavanaugh, of Hunterdon County. She died 
February 26, 1S8S, and of her children five sur- 
vive. Joseph K., John and Jacob are business 
men in New York City. William C. is a rising 
young attorney-at-law; and Katie is the wife of 
John Y. Tunison, a confectioner and market-man 




REV. HENRY S. BUTLER, D. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



219 



of Clinton. March 22, 1893, our subject mar- 
ried Rebecca Schertzinger, who was born in Ger- 
man)'. She is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. Fraternally Mr. Gebhardt is identified 
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, hav- 
ing been connected with the same for twenty- 
three years. He has filled many of the places of 
honor in the lodge; has probably initiated more 
members into the lodge than any other officer 
here and is the present efficient warden. 

Since coming to Clinton Mr. Gebhardt has 
been prominently identified with the growth and 
development of its various interests and he is 
recognized as one of the energetic and enterpris- 
ing men of western New Jersey. In him Clinton 
has a stanch and powerful supporter of its enter- 
prises. 



|")EV. HENRY SEYMOUR BUTEER, A. M., 
U^ D. D. During the fourteen years of Dr. 
1*1 Butler's pastorate in Blairstown, Warren 
County, he has met with gratifying success in 
his beloved work of winning souls to the service 
of the Master, and the influence which he has ex- 
erted for good in the community is very great. 
He is a man of broad and liberal mind, generous 
sympathy with his fellow-men and deep sense of 
his responsibility. Beyond most of his minister- 
ial brethren, he is gifted with executive ability 
and wisdom in the management of ecclesiastical 
affairs, which may account for his selection as 
chairman of the Presbyterial committee on 
foreign missions. After the death of Rev. Dr. 
Imbrie, of Jersey City, he was elected chairman 
of the same committee in the synod of New Jer- 
sey. To its connection with the large and grow- 
ing Blair Presbyterial Academy, which is richly 
rewarding its generous founder's liability in its 
present success and future promise, the Blairs- 
town Presbyterian Church is partly indebted for 
its prominent place in the sisterhood of churches 



in this section of New Jersey. It is a live and 
aggressive body, full of zeal for the cause of 
Christianity and destined to occupy a yet larger 
sphere of usefulness. 

The ancestors of Dr. Butler were among 
the early settlers of Connecticut, residents of 
Wethersfield and Hartford. His paternal grand- 
father was a seafaring man, engaged in the then 
profitable trade with the West Indies. The em- 
bargo of 1807 deprived him of his employment 
and he exchanged his property in Hartford for a 
tract of wild land on the Blaudford Hills of 
Hampton County, Mass. He removed thither 
with his wife and six children in December, 1811. 
One of his sons, Henry Butler, father of the doc- 
tor, was then a boy of six years. When he was 
fifteen he went to Hartford and clerked at first 
for J. Granger & Co. Two }-ears later he went 
to New York City, becoming a clerk and sales- 
man for Skidmore & Wilkins, and afterwards for 
Caleb O. Halstead & Co. , wholesale dry-goods 
merchants. In time he became a member of the 
firm of Halstead, Brokaw & Co. and Brokaw, 
Butler &Co., and later president of the American 
Exchange Fire Insurance Company. His busy 
and useful life in the metropolis covered more than 
threescore years. He died at the home of his son 
in this town at the ripe age of eighty-six. Both he 
and his wife, Martha, were members of the First 
Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, he being an 
elder in the congregation. His wife's father, 
Horace Hinsdale, was an elder of what is now 
the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and after- 
wards of the First (Remson Street) Church of 
Brooklyn. 

Their youngest child, Rev. H. S. Butler, was 
born in New York City, December 19, 1840. He 
was dedicated to the ministry by his devout 
mother, who, dying of consumption when he was 
but eighteen months old, took pains that he 
should learn of her earnest wishes on this subject 
as soon as he was old enough to understand. It 
. made a great impression upon his 3'outhful mind 
and was the initial impetus in the direction of his 
energies. His preliminar)' education was gained 
in the select school of Joshua Huntington, M. D., 



2 20 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic In- 
stitute, from which he graduated in one of its 
first classes. In 1858 he entered Princeton Col- 
lege and graduated four years later. Owing to 
circumstances connected with the Civil war, then 
in progress, his father's means had become re- 
duced, so that it became advisable for him to 
teach for a season before taking up his theologi- 
cal studies. He accordingly took charge of the 
Putnam County Seminary, at Red Mills Cnow 
Mahopac Falls), N. Y. In September, 1863, he 
returned to Princeton, there completing his the- 
ological course. He received the degree of Mas- 
ter of Arts in 1865 and was appointed a tutor in 
the college. 

In July, 1866, he accepted a call to the 
churches in Columbus and Bustleton, N. J., and 
having been ordained the following October, he 
entered upon his active ministerial work. Before 
two years had passed the young man was forced 
to abandon his charge on account of ill health, 
and he spent a year in recruiting and supplying 
churches. Then followed a happy and useful 
pastorate of almost fifteen years in the Clearfield 
(Pa.) church. An interesting feature of his in- 
stallation there was the dedication, on the same 
day, of a beautiful house of worship, costing 
$45,000. This fine edifice was erected largely 
through the efforts of Hon. William Bigler, for- 
mer governor of Pennsylvania and United States 
senator, then a ruling elder of the Clearfield 
church. During his pastorate there, Dr. Butler 
was permitted to see a very substantial growth of 
the church, both material and spiritual. The rela- 
tions between him and his people were very har- 
monious and their mutual attachment very strong. 
Clearfield County was then undergoing rapid de- 
velopment; the timber was being fast removed 
and coal was becoming the main article of trade 
and export. In consequence, new towns were 
springing up in hitherto desolate regions and 
there was thus abundant opportunity for mission- 
ary effort. From his central location at the 
county seat he was enabled to organize and direct 
movements for supplying the prevailing spiritual 
destitution and was instrumental in forming sev- 



eral new churches. Of these, the one at DuBois, 
with its five hundred members, is especially nota- 
ble. 

In 1876 Dr. Butler was elected Moderator of 
the Presbytery of Huntingdon; of the Harrisburg 
Synod in 1880 and by appointment of the Gen- 
eral Assembly, was Convener of the consolidated 
Synod of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, in 1882. 
At New Brunswick, in 1895, he was chosen 
Moderator of the Synod of New Jersey; and on 
November 20 and 21 of that year conducted a 
successful state convention in the interest of 
foreign missions, in the Fourth Presbyterian 
Church, Trenton. 

A wholly unlooked-for desire on the part of the 
Presbyterian Church of Blairstown, that he 
should take charge of the important work here, 
which involved also the presidency of the direc- 
tors of the academy, led to Dr. Butler's giving 
up his cherished work in Clearfield and vicinity, 
as it became his conviction that his duty lay here. 
The Blairstown Academy was founded by Hon. 
John I. Blair, and was donated by him, with its 
goodly buildings and endowment, to the Newton 
Presbytery. It was in March, 1884, that our 
subject entered upon his pastorate and important 
duties here, and in the following January he was 
honored by L,afa) r ette College in the bestowment 
of the degree of Doctor of Divinity. The congre- 
gation of Blairstown is one of unusual strength 
from both a material and spiritual point of view. 
Among the deceased elders whose lives were of 
untold benefit to the church may be mentioned 
Henry D. Gregory, Ph. D., principal of the 
Blair Academy and later vice-president of Girard 
College, and Charles E- Vail, the late secretary 
of J. I. Blair. Through the able persistence of 
the latter, the church was put upon a financial 
basis which makes it a model: a policy as ably 
carried out by his brother and successor as trus- 
tee and elder, William H. Vail, M. D. Dr. J. 
C. Johnson, also, the "beloved physician," has 
long been recognized as a model elder. 

May 8, 1867, Dr. Butler married Miss Maria 
T. Patterson, of Pound Ridge, N. Y. Her 
father, Rev. William Patterson, enjoyed the rare 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



221 



distinction of spending his whole ministerial life 
of fifty-three years in the same charge, and was 
greatly beloved by all. The first child of Dr. 
Butler was born November 4, 1868, and was 
named Courtlandt Patterson. He was dedicated 
to the ministry and is now (1898) pastor of the 
Calvary Presbyterian Church of Riverton, N. J. 
Five other children were born in Clearfield, of 
whom three sons, William, Joseph and Henry, 
lie buried upon the hillside overlooking that 
town. The fourth son, Horace Graham, is in 
business in Chicago, 111. , and the only daughter, 
Emma Seymour, is pursuing studies at home. 
The doctor's sympathies are with the Republican 
party. 



(JOSEPH W. SILVARA, M. D. Among the 
I medical fraternity of Hunterdon County this 
Q) enterprising physician of East Amwell Town- 
ship ranks high. For about thirteen years he 
has been located in the pretty little town of 
Ringoes, his practice covering much of the sur- 
rounding country as well. He is devoted to his 
chosen work, and is thoroughly abreast of the 
progressive spirit of the age, an age which has 
made a more complete revolution in the matter of 
treatment of disease than in almost any other di- 
rection of science. He is a member of the Hun- 
terdon County Medical Society, and since 1880 
has been connected with the Odd Fellows. In 
1883, 1884 and again in 18S5 he had the honor of 
being sent as a representative to the grand lodge 
of the state of Pennsylvania. 

The father of the above, Joseph W. Silvara.Sr. , 
was also a member of the medical profession. 
He was born in the town of Silvara, Bradford 
County, Pa., and took up the study of medicine 
when but seventeen years of age. He earned the 
money with which to take himself through col- 
lege, and in 1S41 graduated from the University 
of New York City. Settling in White Haven, 
L,uzerne County, Pa., he continued in practice as 



long as he lived. His labors were very ardous 
and were a severe strain upon his mind and 
physical strength, as he rode for sixty miles 
around to attend patients, and, having gained a 
very favorable reputation, especially in surgical 
cases, he was in great demand. Death found him 
at his post of duty, as he died when out upon one 
of his long rides, in 1849, in the town of Hawley, 
Pa. He married Ellen Morgan, by whom he had 
four children: Emily, now the wife of James N. 
Prior, of Brooklyn, N. Y.; Emanuel, who was 
drowned at the age of sixteen years at White 
Haven; Joseph W., of this sketch; and Thomas, 
who died when seventeen years old. 

The birth of our subject occurred in White 
Haven, Pa., November 2, 1848, and he was thus 
but a year old when death deprived him of his 
loving father's care and guidance. The mother 
removed to Stroudsburg after that sad event, and 
from his fifth to his twenty-first year the doctor 
lived with an uncle in Lacon, 111. He received 
very good educational advantages, and graduated 
from the L,acon high school. For a year or so 
he carried on his uncle's farm. His next move 
was to go to Bloomsburg, Pa., where he entered 
a drug store and served an apprenticeship of three 
years. Afterwards he was for another twelve- 
month in the same position but with a good 
salary. During this period he had made up his 
mind that he would enter the medical profession, 
and having bought a few books relating to the 
subject, he started on this difficult undertaking. 
For two years Dr. Tewksbury, of Ashley, Pa., 
where he was then residing, directed his ambitious 
efforts, and at last, in the winter of 1872, and 
again in the following year, he was a student in 
Ann Arbor (Mich.) University. The last year 
of his course he passed in Jefferson Medical Col- 
lege, graduating with the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine March n, 1874. His initial practice 
was in the town of Parsons, a suburb of Wilkes- 
barre, Pa., and there he was located three years. 
The eight following years he practiced in 
Cresco, Pa., and in the fall of 1885 came to settle 
permanently in Ringoes. The first three years 
he was associated with Dr. Robbins, then a candi- 



222 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



date for state senator, and since then he has been 
alone, and has certainly met with gratifying suc- 
cess and his full share of the public patronage. 
August 6, 1890, he married Miss Cora Hunt, of 
this village. The}' have a pretty and happy 
home and delight to entertain therein their 
numerous friends. 



(31 NDERSON W. GREEN has had long and 
LI successful experience as a fanner. In 1867 
/ I he bought the John Bray farm in Kingwood 
Township, Hunterdon County, where he has 
since resided, giving his attention to the raising 
of general farm products and to the dairy busi- 
ness. The place contains eighty acres and is im- 
proved with neat and well-equipped buildings. 
An air of thrift pervades the entire farm that 
speaks volumes for the energy and industry of 
the owner, who has indeed spared no pains to 
make of the estate one of the finest in the town- 
ship. 

The father of our subject, Samuel Green, was 
born in Delaware Township, where the first 
thirty years of his life were spent. From there 
he went to Doylestown, Pa., where he followed 
the wheelwright's trade. For a number of years 
he carried on a spoke factory at Doylestown. He 
was a successful business man and accumulated 
a competency. Though not an office seeker 
he was interested in politics and was a decided 
Democrat in his opinions. His death occurred 
in 1888, when he was eighty-six years of age. 
Our subject's grandfather, Richard Green, was 
probably a native of Delaware Township; he was 
for years a leading farmer of that locality and 
died there when about eighty. Of his father, 
Samuel, nothing definite is known. 

By the marriage of Samuel Green to Hannah 
Fisher, one child was born, the subject of this 
sketch. The wife and mother died when fifty- 
six years of age. When only six years old 



our subject began to work for others and from 
that time forward he was self supporting. The 
necessity of earning a livelihood prevented him 
from securing the education that he desired; the 
knowledge he possesses is the result of self culture 
rather than schooling. However, his habits of 
close observation and careful reading enabled 
him to gain a broader fund of information than 
many possess who are his superiors in educational 
advantages. 

The childhood and youth of our subject were 
passed in Kingwood Township, where he was 
born in 1835. But in 1856 he went to the west 
and for three years worked on a farm in Grundy 
County, 111. On his return to Kingwood Town- 
ship he was for a time employed by others, but 
in 1861 started out for himself, working on shares 
a tract of eighteen acres and planting it to peach 
trees. For several years he engaged in the fruit 
business, but since establishing his home on his 
present farm he has carried on general farming. 
He is a Republican in political belief, but is not 
active in public affairs. His family attend the 
Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a con- 
tributor to its support. 



(JOSEPH HOUSED is an honored old resident 
I of Raritan Township, Hunterdon County, 
(*/ and has been occupied in the cultivation and 
improvement of his valuable homestead here for 
over a quarter of a century, as he purchased the 
place and settled thereon in 1872. Comprised 
within the boundaries of the farm are one hun- 
dred and eight acres, all of which is well adapted 
to the purpose of general crops grown in this 
region. 

Joseph Housel, Sr. , was a native of Raritan 
Township, and, having reached manhood, chose 
for his future companion and sharer of his joys 
and sorrows, Rebecca Dusenberry. By their mar- 
riage the}' had seven sous and one daughter, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



223 



named as follows: Henry, Charles, Theodore, 
Wilson, John, Samuel, Sarah A. and Joseph, Jr. 
Sarah A., Henry, Theodore and John are deceased. 
Samuel was a soldier in the late war and the last 
heard of him he was in a hospital in Tennessee. 

The birth our subject occurred in this town- 
ship February 2, 1826. Here he was reared to 
maturity, receiving a good education in the dis- 
trict schools of the period. His father gave him 
practical training in the duties of farm manage- 
ment, and with him he continued to dwell until 
after passing his majority. He then set out to 
make his own way in the world by working for 
neighboring farmers, and was thus occupied dur- 
ing some eight years. At the end of this period 
he rented a farm in Raritan Township, and later 
removed to Somerset County, where he remained 
until 1872. Returning to the place of his youth, 
he next bought the old Quick homestead, as his 
farm was formerly styled, and here he may be 
found to-day. He has always preferred a quiet 
life, and has never desired official distinction, 
though he does his duty as a voter, his choice 
being the candidates and platform of the Dem- 
ocracy . 

In October, 1856, Mr. Housel married Sarah 
Boughner. To them four children were born. 
Johnson, the eldest, is deceased; Janet is the wife 
of William Couover, a farmer of this township; 
Rebecca is the wife of John W. Higgius, of East 
Amwell Township; and Susie completes the fam- 
ily. The wife and mother died February 22, 
1898. 



GJlNDREW FLEMING, a worthy old citizen 
LJ of Readington Township, Hunterdon County, 
/ I departed this life in 1886, aged about eighty 
years. His loss was deeply felt by his old neigh- 
bors and associates, and his memory is cherished 
in the hearts of many of the residents of this 
community. In business life he won success by 
unremitting industry and effort, and wherever he 



went his name became a synonym for truth and 
honest}'. In all his dealings with his fellow-men 
he was so thoroughly reliable, upright and just 
that his word was considered as good as his bond, 
and no other guarantee was necessary. In all 
the relations of life, as citizen, friend and neigh- 
bor, but especially as husband, father and son, 
did his noble character shine forth, and he en- 
deared to himself a host of acquaintances. 

Born October 23, 1805, Mr. Fleming was a 
son of William and Elizabeth (Cook) Fleming. 
His birth took place in Hunterdon County, and 
here he was reared to maturity. After his mar- 
riage in 1838 he removed to what is known as 
Branchburg Township, Somerset County, N. J., 
and was there engaged in farming for forty-five 
years. In his declining years he wished to return 
to Hunterdon County, and accordingly passed 
his last days in Readington Township, living re- 
tired from arduous labor. While in Somerset 
County he served as a justice of the peace, was 
actively concerned in every good work started in 
the community where he dwelt, and feeling the 
great loss that he had himself sustained in not 
having received a good education in the primitive 
schools of his boyhood, he was particularly inter- 
ested in the matter of providing the rising genera- 
tion with the best possible advantages. For 
some twenty-four years he was the treasurer of 
the Farmers' Mutual Fire Assurance Association 
of New Jersey, and was also a director in the 
same for about twenty-three years. On political 
affairs he was well posted, and though he was a 
little partial to the Democracy, he usually voted 
for the candidate whom he considered would 
best carry out the wishes of the better classes of 
society. 

As previously mentioned, Mr. Fleming was 
married in 1838. The lady of his choice was 
Margaret, daughter of John and Charity (Lomp- 
ing) Lawshe, natives of this county. The father 
of Mrs. Fleming died when he was still a young 
man. She was born May 10, 1817, and spent 
her early years in what is now Union Township, 
there attending the old-fashioned pay schools of 
the period. She is highly esteemed and beloved 



224 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



by a large circle of friends in this township, and 
her memory is held dear by numerous old neigh- 
bors in the various localities in which it has been 
her lot to reside. Of the children born to herself 
and husband the following are yet living, viz.: 
John; Jane; Ann, wife of Alonzo Butler; George 
Robbins; Kate, wife of Alfred Butler, and Asher. 
John Fleming was born in Branchburg Town- 
ship, Somerset Count}-, N. J., June 4, 1839, and 
received his education in the public schools of the 
same township, where he resided until coming 
here with the family. From 1867 to 1882 he 
engaged in teaching school and in 1884 settled 
where he still makes his home. He is unmarried 
and resides with his mother. He is a member of 
the Reformed Church, in which he has served as 
elder and superintendent of the Sunday-school. 
For a number of years he has been a member of 
the board of education of Readington Township. 



I" REDERICK F. LEAR is the owner and pro- 
K) prietorof the Lambertville roller mills, which 
I have been established in Lambertville since 
1S83. He was at first in partnership with Isaac W. 
Holcombe and William B. Niece, under the firm 
name of Lear, Holcombe & Niece, which com- 
pany was formed in 1883 and dissolved February 
3, 1896. Since that time Mr. Lear has carried 
on the business alone. In addition to the flour- 
ing mill interests he adds that of lumber for build- 
ing purposes and does an extensive business in 
this line. His mill is equipped with a fine new 
roller process, the capacity of the original mill 
being thereby increased three-fold. He com- 
mands a large share of the local trade and finds 
ready sale for the surplus product in adjacent 
towns. 

A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lear was born 
in Bucks County, February 13, 1845, and the first 
years of his life were spent upon his father's farm. 
He was a pupil in the neighborhood schools, later 



attending the normal in Carversville, Pa. The 
demand for teachers being very great he left his 
studies and took charge of a school in the vicinity 
of his boyhood home. Thus he was occupied for 
three winters, farming during the rest of the year. 
He concluded to begin housekeeping about this 
time, as he had laid aside a snug little sum of 
money. November 30, 1869, Sarah E. George, 
with whom he had grown up a school-mate and 
an old-time friend, became his wife. Her parents 
were Samuel and Margaret (Fox) George. Sev- 
eral years followed in which our subject was oc- 
cupied in managing his father's old homestead. 

In 1874 Mr. Lear formed a partnership with his 
uncle, E. D. Fulmer, the firm name being changed 
to E. D. Fulmer & Co. About two years after- 
wards the uncle retired from the business and Mr. 
Lear continued alone until 1883. The mills had 
a capacity of but thirty-five barrels per day, and 
it was not before 1883 that he was enabled to put 
in new machinery. Years ago he had a sawmill 
and manufactured great quantities of lumber, and 
now deals in stock that is shipped in from various 
points. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lear have two children, Lavina 
May, born in January, 1881, and Joseph, born in 
September, 18S3. They are members of the 
Presbyterian Church, Mr. Lear being a trustee 
in the same. In politics he is a Democrat, but is 
not active nor has he ever been prevailed upon to 
accept public office. His interest in educational 
matters, however, led to his taking a place on the 
school board, where he served for a period. He 
is a director and stockholder of the Lambertville 
National Bank. Fraternally he is a member of 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 

The parents of our subject were Joseph G. and 
Lavina (Fulmer) Lear, both natives of Bucks 
County, Pa. He was next to the youngest in a 
family of eleven children of Arnold Lear. Born 
in 1815 he lived to be seventy -three years old, 
and died July 20, 1888, loved and mourned by all 
who had known him. He was born and passed 
his entire life on the farm where the subject of 
this narrative was also born and reared. He was 
a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD 



was an elder and a deacon in the same and was 
prominent in all good works. He had but two 
children. The daughter, Mary C, is the wife of 
Dr. W. H. Kunsmau, of Bucks County, Pa., and 
has one child. The old homestead upon which 
our subject was reared, consisting of about one 
hundred and fifty acres, is now the property of 
himself and sister, Mary C. Kunsman. 



— -»>+H» =''+<•• 



(ILLIAM C. TOMSON is general manager 
and on the editorial staff of the Leader, 
published in Milford, Hunterdon County. 
He is a gentleman of wide experience in this 
field, and is thoroughly practical, understanding 
journalistic work in every detail. In his youth 
he commenced at the bottom round of the ladder 
and from that lowly position worked upward by 
his own merits to a place of honor and responsi- 
bility. In local politics he is quite a leader, 
being one of the standard-bearers of the Re- 
publican party. His fellow-citizens called upon 
him to serve in the capacity of clerk of Holland 
Township a few years ago and he fully satisfied 
their most sanguine expectations in the manner 
with which he met every obligation of the office 
during his three years' term. 

The Tomsons have been established in Hunter- 
don County for several generations and have 
been noted for honest, good citizenship. The 
father of our subject is Nahum W. Tomson, who 
was born in the vicinity of Milford and has re- 
sided hereabouts all his life. He carried on gen- 
eral farming during his active career, also dealing 
to a considerable extent in stone, for he was the 
owner of a quarry. He has always been very 
active in the support of the Republican party and 
has occupied various local public positions of 
trust and honor. For several years he was 
surveyor of the township highways. In 1S85 he 
retired from the arduous work of the farm, and 
has since been leading a retired life, his home 



being in Milford. His father, William Tomson, 
was born in this township and spent his whole 
life on the homestead which he had inherited 
from his father, with the exception of a few y 
prior to his death, when he removed to Milford 
and built the house now occupied by Ins son, 
Nahum. He was summoned to his final f;est in 
1 86 1 . The wife of the last-mentioned was Hjinnjah , 
daughter of Benjamin W. and Matilda (|'.loom) 
Alpaugh. She is still living and in the ei 
ment of excellent health. The family is rioted for 
longevity, our subject's grandmother Tomson 
having attained ninety-six years, and his grand- 
mother Alpaugh having been eighty-one at the 
time of her death. The only brother of our sub- 
ject is Rev. G. W. Tomson, of Clayton. N. J. 

William C. Tomson was born September 25, 
186 1, and reared near Milford. He acquired his 
general education in the public schools, and was 
nineteen when he entered the office of ;he Milford 
Leader. He learned the printer's trade, was em- 
ployed first in one capacity and then in another, 
until he became thoroughly conversant with the 
business in every department. e remained in 
the office under six managements, finally becom- 
ing the foreman of the actual printing depart- 
ment. At last, owing to some dissatisfaction and 
misunderstanding, he resigned his position, 
bought a printing outfit and started into business 
on his own account. He then engaged in job and 
commercial printing for the next three years, at 
the end of which time, or in 1891, the manage- 
ment of the Leader engaged him as editor, he 
to take the general supervision. The paper was 
established in 1880 and has become one of the 
acknowledged leaders of thought in this portion 
of the state. 

In 1 88 1 Mr. Tomson married Jennie, daughter 
of Henry and Ann Aten. of this county, and they 
have one child, Charles A. They are both mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Mil- 
ford, Mr. Tomson having served as local preacher 
for several years. He has passed ali the chairs 
in Perseverance Lodge No. 30, I. 0. O. F. , is 
also a member of Ridgeley Pre 1 . ssociation 

for Odd Fellows, and belongs to Camp No. 12, 



: it -.'otic Orel 
and admired 
into contact, I 
iiiut'itiesof head and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



■of America. He is respected 
. ith whom it is his lot to come 
is a man of most sterling 
I eart. 



1ULJAM B. HOC £ENBURY has made his 
home on a ft near Eocktown, in King- 
wood Township, 1 uterdou Count}', since 
the year 1855, when he ' ght the Higgins farm 
of eighty-three acri 1 farmer he is ener- 

getic and industrious rough perseverance 

he has brought his pla> r excellent cultiva- 

tion and rendered its acreaj profitable. In the 
Grange he is an active work< - and for the past 
1 a.y-two years has s treasurer. His 

opinions upon public questions ire firm and not 
easily changed when once formed. The Demo- 
cratic party receives his allegiance and its candi- 
dates his support. For three years he was a 
freeholder. He is deeply interested in the public 
schools, and for twenty-one years rendered effi- 
cient service as a school trustee. 

In ; township where he now resides Mr. 
Hockenbury was born in 1824. His father, 
John, a native of Hunterdon County, spent the 
most of his life in Kingwood Township, where he 
followed the trade of a shoemaker and also car- 
ried on farm pursuits. In politics he was a 
stanch Democrat. Among the offices that he 
held were those of overseer of the poor and over- 
seer of roads. Every enterprise started for the 
benefit of the community received his warm sym- 
pathy and, if possible, his active support. He 
was a member of the old-school Baptist Church 
and one of the active workers in his denomina- 
tion. Attaining a need age, he died when 
eighty-two years of age. 

Malcolm Hockenbury, our subject's grand- 
father, emigrated to America from Germany 
when fourteen years of age, and settled near 
Frenchtown, Hunterdon Counlj . He died when 



in middle life, when our subject's father was a 
boy of eight years. The mother of our subject 
was Sarah, daughter of John Sutton, and a 
woman of noble character, a faithful member of 
the Baptist Church until she died, at sixty years 
of age. Of her eight children, five are living: 
Dinah, wife of Mahlon Pegg; D. Bateman, John 
S., William B. and Asa B. Two daughters, Mrs. 
Jane Horner and Mrs. Mary Snyder, are deceased. 
The early years of our subject's life were quiet- 
ly passed in Kingwood Township. When he was 
thirty years of age he purchased the place where 
he has since resided, and to the cultivation of 
which he has since given his attention. His 
marriage in 1854 united him with Miss Catherine 
Chamberlin, daughter of A. B. Chamberlin, Sr. 
She remained his helpmate until her death, which 
occurred in December, 1889, at the age of fifty- 
three years. Four children were born of the 
union, all daughters, namely: Elizabeth; Flor- 
ence, wife of J. F. Wagner; Jane, Mrs. Joseph 
Foss; and Sadie, who married R. H. Foss. The 
family attended the Baptist Church. 



(JACOB O. KLJNE, who is a practical miller 
I and good business man, has been the pro- 
(2/ prietor of the mill in Readington Township, 
Hunterdon County, near Flemington Junction, 
for the past eight years and enjoys the patronage 
of all of the people of this district. The Kline 
family have been identified with the development 
and growth of Hunterdon County for over a 
hundred years and at all times they have been noted 
for sturdy, industrious, law-abiding qualities. 
The grandfather of our subject, Peter A., was a 
native of Readington Township, and was a tanner 
by trade. 

John S. Kline, father of Jacob Kline, was like- 
wise born in this township, and followed fanning 
and carpentering with success. He married 
Sarah Carkhuff, who was born and reared in this 




CLIFFORD MILLS, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



229 



vicinity, and to them were born seven children: 
John W., William S., Peter S., Amanda E., 
Jacob Q., Ezekiel and Devi. 

J. 0. Kline was born March 13, 1853, on his 
father's old homestead in Readington Township. 
He attended the common schools of the period, 
gaining general knowledge of the practical 
branches. When he was about nineteen he began 
learning the milling business with Brokaw & 
Higgins, of Three Bridges, and has since followed 
this occupation. He is a Democrat in his polit- 
ical convictions, and the only official position 
which he has ever been induced to accept was that 
of postmaster of Rowland Mills. He is a member 
of the Grand Fraternity. 

January 24, 1877, Mr. Kline married Annie E. 
Schomp, whose people are old settlers of this 
district. Four children came to grace the home 
of our subject and wife and were named respect- 
ively, Howard E. , Russell, Sadie and Jessie. Mrs. 
Kline is a lady who is loved by all who have the 
pleasure of her acquaintance and she holds mem- 
bership with the Presbyterian Church. 



ELJFFORD MILLS, M. D. It is always dif- 
ficult for a young professional man to gain 
a footing in a community, and it is always a 
work of years and patience for him to acquire a 
large and lucrative practice. However, it is oft- 
times effected by the marked ability, fitness for 
the chosen work, kindness and gentleness of dis- 
position of the young practitioner, his presence 
bringing cheer and confidence into the sick- 
room. Thus it has been with the subject of this 
sketch. He is a genuine student, is unencum- 
bered with the dogmas of the old-style physician, 
and is thoroughly practical, wide-awake, and up 
to the spirit of the progressive age in which he 
lives. It needs no prophet to predict for him a 
most promising future, judging from what he has 



already accomplished, and the best wishes of a 
host of his sincere friends accompany him in this 
chosen work. 

Among the early settlers in Long Island were 
two brothers, Timothy and Jonathan Mills, who 
had emigrated to that point from the extreme 
northern part of Ireland. From the first-men- 
tioned our subject is descended. Nehemiah 
Mahlon Mills was married in New York City and 
removed to Morristown, N. J., at an early day. 
His son, Nehemiah Mahlon, Jr., born in New 
York, came with his parents to this state, and 
upon arriving at maturity married Susan Slack, 
of Stanhope, and their youngest child is the doc- 
tor. N. M. Mills was a carpenter and contractor 
in Morristown for some years, but the work be- 
ing too arduous for his health he bought a farm 
in Morris County, and proceeded to engage in 
its cultivation until about 1893, when he retired, 
and is quietly passing his declining years in the 
enjoyment of the fruits of his former years of toil. 
He has always supported the Republican party 
by his ballot, and has never sought or accepted 
office. Religiously he is connected with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Of the eleven 
children born to himself and wife all are living 
save two. The others in the order of birth are 
named as follows: George, Mary, Harriet (wife 
of Russell Chase, of Newark), Harvey, Annie 
(a teacher), Jennie, Julia, John and Clifford. 
George is a prominent business man of Morris- 
town, and operates a large planing-mill there. 
Harvey is in business with him and John is a 
graduate of Rutgers College, class of '97, and 
is now studying law in Newark. 

Dr. Clifford Mills was born December 1, 1875, 
in Morristown, and received his education in the 
excellent public schools of the place. After 
graduating from the high school he attended 
Long Island College Hospital at Brooklyn, and 
duly graduated from that well-known institu- 
tion in March, 1897, with the degree ofDoctor of 
Medicine. His course had included considerable 
actual practice, and he therefore felt himself com- 
petent to enter at once upon the chosen work of 
his life. He opened an office for practice in 



2jO 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Califon, and is rapidly winning the respect of his 
brethren in the profession, as well as the regard 
and confidence of our citizens. He is a young 
man of frank and manly ways, and has the faculty 
of readily making friends, and what is more, of 
retaining them. He is a member of the Knights 
of the Golden Eagle, and examining physician 
for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New 
York for Califon. 



RALPH D. HUFF, a business man of Blairs- 
town, has made his home here for the past 
seven years. Born in Hardwick Township, 
Warren County, in 1856, he is a son Barnet S. 
Huff, who was a native of Stillwater, Sussex 
County, N. J. From 1854 to 18S6, in which 
year he died, he was occupied in the cultivation 
of his fine farm situated in Hardwick Township, 
the one adjoining this. He was a man of prom- 
inence among his neighbors, and bore a high re- 
putation for honor and uprightness in word and 
deed. In his political relations he was a Repub- 
lican. For several years prior to his death he 
was an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Still- 
water. He was born in 1828 and was conse- 
quenlly fifty-eight years old when he entered 
into his final rest. His father, Joseph Huff, was 
born in 1800 and always resided in Sussex Count}', 
where he was born. He became a prosperous 
man of affairs, and owned large estates. Death 
put an end to his earthly labors when he was 
seventy-two years of age. His father, Joseph 
Huff, Sr., was a native of Germany, and upon his 
arrival in the United States he settled in Sussex 
County, where his name has since been known, 
handed down from one generation to another. 
The mother of our subject bore the maiden name 
of Hannah Divers. She is a daughter of Jacob 
M. and Mary Ann (Voss) Divers, and her grand- 
father, John Voss, was a native of Germany, and 
upon his arrival in this country made a perma- 



nent home near White Pond, Warren County. 
Mrs. Hannah Huff is now living at the home of 
our subject in Blairstown. She had three 
daughters by her marriage with Mr. Huff: Eliza- 
beth, the wife of Lewis Roy; Ella, Mrs. Philetus 
Luse; and Mary, deceased. 

Ralph D. Huff remained with his parents on 
the farm until he was grown, and was educated 
in the district schools; in the year 1891 he came 
to Blairstown. Here he followed the pursuits of 
surveying and conveyancing for about four years, 
after which he purchased a furniture and under- 
taking business. This he has since successfully 
conducted, winning a large and remunerative 
patronage. 

In 1 88 1 Mr. Huff married Gertrude, daughter 
of Isaac R. Kerr, and two children grace their 
union, Nellie and Clarence. Since lie was twenty- 
five years of age Mr. Huff has held membership 
with the Presbyterian Church, and his wife and 
children are also attendants upon the services of 
the local church. Politically he is a Republican. 
Fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fel- 
lows, and is treasurer of the local lodge. He is 
also a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of 
America and is a trustee in the order. He is a 
member of Blairstown Lodge No. 165, F. & A. 
M. He has the respect and high regard of all 
who are acquainted with him, whether in a bus- 
iness or social manner. 



~ MANUEL TOMSON. This sterling citizen 
*e) of Clinton, Hunterdon Count}-, is the pro- 
__ prietor of the Clinton House, which he has 
conducted with ability for the past sixteen years. 
Prior to assuming its management he had con- 
siderable experience in this same line of business, 
and, in fact, has been interested in the same for 
nearly a quarter of a century. Since assuming 
the management of this well-known and popular 
hotel, he has by untiring energy been able to 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



•231 



place the house among the leading hotels of 
western New Jersey. He has thoroughly re- 
fitted the premises at great expense, has built a 
large addition and equipped it with steam heat 
and water system, including bath rooms of latest 
style. In fact his hotel is modern in every re- 
spect and a credit to his push and energy. His 
affable and kindly manner in his association with 
his guests has won for him hosts of friends, who 
hold him in high esteem. His personal qualities 
are such as to make him an ideal host. 

About sixty-five years ago the birth of our 
subject occurred in Warren County, N. J., the 
date of the event being December 24, 1833. 
His parents were Lefford and Amanda (Hise) 
Tomsou, both of whom were natives of Hunter- 
don County, but removed to Warren County 
soon after their marriage. The father was a 
farmer during his whole life and took an active 
part in the affairs of the little community in 
which his home was situated. He died in 1872, 
and was followed to the silent land in 1887 by his 
beloved wife. Her mother, Mrs. Hise, attained 
the extreme age of one hundred years and six 
months; her mother lived to be ninety-eight, and 
grandfather Hise was ninety-six at the time of 
his death. 

Having been reared upon a farm, and early 
initiated into its various kinds of work, young 
Tomsou adopted the occupation of agriculture, 
following the same for a number of years with 
fair success. He gained a knowledge of the ordina- 
ry branches of learning in the public schools, and 
added thereto, year by year, the wisdom acquired 
in the actual battle of life. In 1875 he started in 
what was to him a new and doubtful business 
venture, but, as it turned out, one that was des- 
tined to reward him with financial prosperity. 
He embarked in the laborious business of carry- 
ing on a hotel, which he purchased at Mount 
Pleasant, N. J. He sold out in about a year, and 
then was the owner and manager of a hotel in 
Glen Gardner, N. J. In April, 1882, he became 
the owner of the popular Clinton House, made 
some desirable improvements therein, and is still 
earnest in his endeavor to furnish the best pos- 



sible accommodations to the public. He is a 
member of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to 
the Order of American Mechanics. In his polit- 
ical convictions he is a Republican, and, while 
not an aspirant to official distinction, he has 
served in the capacity of constable and in minor 
positions. 

The marriage of Mr. Tomson and Elizabeth 
Ann Staats, daughter of a well-known Warren 
County family, was solemnized in 1856. Three 
children still remain to them: Sanford R., a 
practical farmer of this locality; Elmer E., who 
is in business with his father; and Chester, a coal 
merchant of this town. The mother is a member 
of the Presbyterian Church and is loved by all 
who know her. 



P QlLXIAM H. DAERYMPEE has been a life- 
\ A / ^ on S res ^ ellt °f Kingwood Township, Hun- 
YV terdou County. Purchasing the Francis 
Horner farm in 1873, he at once established his 
home upon it and began the cultivation of the 
laud. In various branches of agriculture he has 
been successful. Not only has he engaged in 
raising general farm products, but he has also 
devoted considerable attention to the fruit bus- 
iness and has on his place a large number of trees 
that are in excellent bearing condition. In addi- 
tion, he carries on a dairy business. 

Born in this township in 1843, our subject is a 
son of James Dalrymple, also a native of King- 
wood, where he spent his life engaged in general 
farming. In politics he was a Republican, active 
in party affairs. From early youth he was a 
member of the Baptist Church and his Christian 
faith brightened his declining years. At the time 
of his death he was eighty-two years of age. His 
father, John, son of Jesse Dalrymple, was for 
several years a resident of Franklin Township and 
a farmer there. He was an active worker in the 
Baptist Church and one of its deacons. The 



232 . 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



marriage of James Dalrymple united him with 
Margaret Hoff, daughter of William and Mary 
(Snyder) Hoff, and an earnest member of the 
Baptist Church. She died when about sixty-eight 
years of age. Of their ten children only four are 
now living: William H.; John, of Jersey City; 
Martha, wife of Joseph L,awshe; and Elmer, a 
resident of Pittstown. 

At the age of fourteen our subject began to work 
for others and from that time until he was twenty- 
seven he assisted farmers. Saving his earnings, 
in 1873 he was able to purchase property and 
begin independently. Since then he has met with 
uniform prosperity and has become well-to-do. 
Politically an active Republican, he is a local 
leader in his party. Among the positions he has 
held was that of road overseer. He is a member 
of the Locktowu Grange and keeps posted in mat- 
ters pertaining to agriculture. For some time he 
has been a trustee and deacon in the Baptist 
Church. 

In 1S71 Mr. Dalrymple established domestic 
ties, being united in marriage with Miss Hannah, 
daughter of Peter and Mar}' Dalrymple, and a 
resident of this county. A son and daughter came 
to bless their union, the former being Howard, 
and the latter Carrie, wife of Wilson Cline. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dalrymple have a grandchild, Estelle 
Cline, of whom they are very fond. The family 
stand high in the estimation of the people of the 
township and have many friends among the best 
people here. 



— 1 — •^-O^CDK*"^ — c — ^~~ 



G\ AMANDUS SCHUBERT, D. D. S. The 
j\ science of dentistry has reached a fine art, 
/ I and now is recognized as an important ad- 
junct to medical science. Dr. Schubert has built 
up a good reputation in Blairstown, Warren 
County, where he established himself in practice 
over fifteen years ago. He is a member of the 
alumni of the New York College of Dentistry, is 



an honorary member of the students' society of 
the same institution and belongs to the New Jer- 
sey State Dental Society. In 1890 he attended 
the Tenth International Medical Congress, in 
Berlin. 

Peter Schubert, the doctor's father, was a na- 
tive of Meldorf, Germany, but passed the most of 
his life in Altona, Germany. He was a surgeon 
of much renown in his day, took a very promi- 
nent part as such during the war of 1848 and in 
the Franco-Prussian war. In 1872 he retired 
from active professional work, and continued to 
live and enjoy his quiet home in Hamburg, Ger- 
many, for many years longer. At the time of his 
death in 1890 he was seventy-three years of age. 
His wife, who survives him, was formerly Maria 
Henrietta Conradi. She was born in Hamburg, 
being a daughter of the well-known surgeon Dr. 
Johannes Conradi, of that city. Her brother, Dr. 
Theodore Conradi, was noted as a physician, and 
was the head of the Sailors' Hospital and Asylum 
at Hamburg from the date of its organization un- 
til his death. Mrs. Schubert is still a resident of 
Hamburg, and is now in her seventy-eighth year. 
Of the four children born to herself and husband 
only two, Emma, widow of Capt. Edward Sam- 
met, of Hamburg, and Arthur, a dentist in Altona, 
are left in Germany. Emil is a well-to-do mer- 
chant in the city of New York. 

A. A. Schubert was born in Altona, Germany, 
June 9, 1854, and in his boyhood received his 
education in the government schools of his home 
place. He went to the city of Hamburg while 
still a youth, and there it was that he had his first 
experience in the commercial world. Entering a 
dry-goods store, he served an apprenticeship to 
the business, and in 1872 he decided to come to 
America. Settling in New York, he remained 
there about six years, still occupied in the dry- 
goods trade. In 1878 he went to Europe and 
took up the stud} - of dentistry with his brother 
Arthur, but returned the same year and in 1S80 
became a student in the New York College of 
Dentistry, from which institution he graduated in 
1882 with the degree of D. D. S. He came to 
Blairstown in the following year, and has since 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



2 33 



devoted his whole time and energies to his prac- 
tice. Fraternally he is a member of Blairstown 
Lodge No.i65,F.&. A.M., of this town, and is past 
master of the same. In 1889 he assisted materi- 
ally in the organization of a fire company for the 
better protection of the place in case of fire, and 
the company is now known as the Blairstown Hose 
Company. He was its second foreman and its 
first secretary and treasurer, and is still a member 
of the company. Since 1869 he has held mem- 
bership with the Lutheran Church. In 1884 he 
married Miss Marie Winter, daughter of George 
Winter, of Germany, an officer under the Duke of 
Hesse-Darmstadt. The doctor and his accom- 
plished wife have one child, Amanda. In politics 
he is independent. 



3 AMES ANDERSON is an honored old citizen 
of East Amwell Township, Hunterdon 
County, and has passed his entire life in this 
and the adjacent township of Raritan, occupied 
in agricultural pursuits. He has been faithful to 
all duties imposed upon him as a neighbor, son, 
husband aud father and has striven to promote 
the prosperity of his own community. Earnestly 
endeavoring to meet such responsibilities, he has 
held his own personal interests secondary in im- 
portance and has never sought public office or the 
praise of his associates. 

Next to the youngest son in the family of 
eleven children, our subject was born July 18, 
1836, his parents being Samuel and Matilda 
(Porter) Anderson. The others are as follows 
in order of birth: John W., Peter T., William J., 
Timothy, Abraham, Theodore, Ralph, George 
James, Emlie and Harriet. Only three are 
now living. James Anderson attended the com- 
mon schools during the winter season, as was 
customary in his boyhood, while during the re- 
mainder of the year his time was spent in arduous 
farm work. He early became familiar with every 



detail of agriculture, and continued to live on the 
old homestead in Raritan Township, where he was 
born, until 1880. At that time he removed to the 
fine farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres 
which he had purchased in this township, aud 
here he has since been engaged in making im- 
provements and otherwise increasing the value of 
the place. In addition to owning this property, 
he still has in his possession the old home farm 
of one hundred and thirty-three acres, this being 
rented out to a responsible tenant. 

In his political affiliations, Mr. Anderson is a 
Democrat and has always voted for the principles 
and candidates for that party since becoming a 
voter. In 1892 he retired for a time from active 
labor, living in the town of Reaville, but at the 
end of five years or so he became anxious to re- 
turn to the old routine of life in which his youth 
aud prime had been passed, and he has since 
managed his farm in East Amwell Township. 
February 16, 1882, he married Lucella Bateman, 
who was born and grew to womanhood in Raritan 
Township. She is a daughter of George and 
Amelia (Britton) Bateman. Mr. and Mrs. 
Anderson have two daughters: Annie, now in 
her thirteenth j'ear, and Hattie, twelve years of 
age. 



MMETT J. DIVERS, a prosperous merchant 
't) of Blairstown, is justly entitled to credit for 
__ the manner in which he has built up his 
successful business. The great-grandfather of 
our subject on the paternal side of the family was 
Henry Divers, who settled at a very early day in 
Hardwick Township, where he has since been 
represented by some of his descendants. The 
next in the line of descent was his son Jacob, who 
was a life-long farmer and one of the most suc- 
cessful financiers in his locality during his career. 
He lived to reach nearly fourscore years ere 
death put an end to his labors. His sou John V. 
was the father of our subject. He was born in 



234 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Hardwick Township, and was engaged in agri- 
cultural pursuits there for many years. In 1877 
he retired to pass in rest and quiet his remaining 
days, and has since resided in Blairstown. In 
his political faith he is a stanch Democrat. Em- 
mett J. is the only child of his marriage with 
Arminda C. Savercool, whose father was Isaac 
Savercool, of Hardwick Township. Mrs. Arminda 
Divers is also still living, and with her husband 
is passing happily along the declining pathway 
of life, happy because of a past well spent and of 
a future bright with increasing hope. 

Emmett J. Divers was born March 21, 1865, in 
this county, and has always lived within its 
boundaries. With his parents he came to Blairs- 
town in 1877 and was educated in the public 
schools here. Then for eight years he was a 
clerk in the general store of A. H. Smith. In 
1892 he embarked in an enterprise of his own, 
opening a gentlemen's furnishing goods store. He 
has met with success, and numbers among his 
patrons many of the best dressers in the town and 
locality. In political matters he adheres to the 
training he received from his father, and votes 
the Democratic ticket. He is a member of Blairs- 
town Hose Company and has been the secretary 
of the organization. He is identified with the 
Masons and is a member of the Red Men. 

October 24, 1893, he married Miss Emma Vliet, 
a daughter of Daniel and Marietta (Decker) 
Vliet, well-known citizens of this place. The 
young couple have one child, John Daniel, named 
in honor of his two grandfathers. 



*N3|£N+ 



0SCAR RITTEN HOUSE is one of the enter- 
prising young business men of Clinton, Hun- 
terdon County, and is actively concerned in 
whatever effects the interests of the people of this 
community. In regard to politics he is to be 
found on the side of the Democracy, and has been 
a member of the city council. For several years 



he has conducted a clothing and gentlemen's fur- 
nishing goods store, catering to the best trade in 
this town and vicinity. Success has smiled upon 
him, and by his courteous, accommodating way 
of dealing with his customers, he has made them 
steady patrons, and many of the number are 
warm personal friends. 

Our subject bears a name that is known and 
honored far and wide in this section of New 
Jersey, as representatives of it have been asso- 
ciated with our local history from the pioneer 
days. Without exception those who have had 
the name have been noted for sterling qualities, 
for patriotism and loyalty to the government, law 
and order. The father of Oscar Rittenhouse was 
William Rittenhouse, a native of this count}'. 
He was a good business man, and was engaged 
in mercantile pursuits in connection with agricult- 
ure. He died on New Year's da}', 1892, and by 
a host of sincere friends he is still tenderly 
esteemed and remembered. His estimable wife, 
who was a Miss Ida Brewer in her girlhood, is 
still living, and in the enjoyment of fair health. 

Oscar Rittenhouse was born August 19, 1869, 
in Baptistown, this county, and in his boyhood 
he was a pupil in the district schools. He passed 
sixteen years of his life on the farm, but deter- 
mined that he would not make agriculture his 
main business pursuit. Having acquired a foun- 
dation of business knowledge, he obtained a posi- 
tion as a clerk when he was about seventeen, and 
during the following three or four years devoted 
himself assiduously to mastering the details of the 
mercantile establishment with which he was con- 
nected. In 1890 he started into business upon 
his own account in Clinton and soon built up a 
lucrative trade. The establishment he conducts 
is complete in every detail. He carries a large 
and well-selected stock, and his enterprise has 
enabled him to make his business a leading factor 
in Clinton. His store would be a credit to a 
much larger city. 

January 3, 1893, Mr. Rittenhouse married 
Lizzie, daughter of Cornelius C. Hoff, a promi- 
nent and well-known citizen of Frenchtown, this 
county. To them have been born two children, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



>35 



a son, William O., named for his grandfather, 
and a daughter, Janet E. Mrs. Rittenhouse is an 
active member of the old- school Baptist Church 
of Kingwood. 



•••:>*:■-• f0;->s:-»- 



^J FORGE W. COLE, who owns and operates 
_ a portion of the original old Cole homestead, 
^ a valuable tract of one hundred and forty 
acres, is a sterling citizen of Readington Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County. Here his ancestors 
settled upon their arrival from Germany, and 
here, generation after generation, had lived and 
died, adding to the prosperity and steadily ad- 
vancing civilization of this state by their lives of 
busy industry and usefulness, and by their un- 
wavering fidelity to the law and high regard for 
the welfare of the majority. 

Of the ten children born to our subject's 
parents, but two are now living, viz., Sarah E. 
and himself. The father, David O. Cole, was a 
well-to-do farmer of this community, and held 
the office of freeholder for a period. He was a 
Democrat in his political belief. His good wife 
bore the maiden name of Agnes Cutter, and she, 
too, was a native of this township. David O. 
Cole was summoned to his reward when he had 
reached the ripe age of sixty-two years. 

George W. Cole was born in his father's old 
home in Readington Township, August 22, 1837, 
and from his earliest recollections has been asso- 
ciated with a rural life. He possessed natural 
talent for agriculture, and when he arrived at the 
age to choose his life occupation, he determined 
to remain in the honored vocation of the majority 
of his forefathers. He has been successful in his 
undertaking, and has always taken great pride in 
keeping his farm in a thrifty condition. He has 
served his fellow-citizens as a committeeman and 
as a freeholder, and has discharged his duty as a 
voter, his ballot being given to the candidates of 
the Democracy. 



Mr. Cole has been twice married. October 18, 
1864, Anna M. Shurts, a native of Somerset 
County, N. J., became his wife. They had two 
sons and a daughter, named respectively, Charles 
E., K. Luella and Frank A. The mother died 
in January, 1877, when but thirty-two years of 
age. The present wife of our subject was formerly 
Mrs. Leah (Schomp) Polhemus. She was born 
and reared in Readington Township, and was 
first married to Henry Polhemus. To the union 
of Mr. and Mrs. Cole two daughters have been 
born, Agnes S. and Mabel Leonore. The family 
are members of the Reformed Church of Reading- 
ton and are greatly respected wherever they are 
known. 



"1ARTON HUFFMAN is an enterprising 
C\ young business man of the town of Ringoes, 
_^ Hunterdon County, and is considered one 
of her leading citizens. He is always to be found 
on the side of local improvements and public ad- 
vancement along any line, and is foremost in the 
upholding of law and order. As a business man 
he has the requisite traits for success, but is quiet, 
unassuming and faithful to duty, and is not over- 
ambitious for making or laying up a fortune. He 
prefers to act according to the dictates of his con- 
science, to lend a helping hand to those less for- 
tunate than himself, and in short to make the 
world a better and happier place for his presence. 
Barton Huffman is one of New Jersey's native 
sons, he having been born in Lebanon, Hunter- 
don County, October 28, 1857. He was reared 
on a farm until he was in his sixth year, when 
his parents, William E. J. and Catharine A. 
(Porter) Huffman, removed to the town of Three 
Bridges, in the same county. There his boyhood's 
happy days passed rapidly away, he in the mean- 
time acquiring a liberal education in the public 
schools of Flemington, N. J. When about fifteen 
he went with the rest of the family to a farm near 
Copper Hill, and when he arrived at his majority 



236 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



took charge of the homestead, which he man- 
aged successfully several years, or until 1893, 
since which time he has lived in Riugoes. He 
purchased a hay press, which he converted into a 
roller mill and deals in fertilizer, coal, farm im- 
plements of all kinds and also buys and sells grain 
in large quantities. 

Fraternally Mr. Huffman is a member of the 
Junior Order United American Mechanics, be- 
longing to the Ringoes Dodge. In religion he is 
a Presbyterian and is a member of the church 
here. October 16, 1883, he married Rebecca 
Reed, daughter of Levi Reed, of Wertsville, N. J. 
Their home is a pleasant one and the abode of 
happiness and good cheer. 



30HN BURNS, of East Amwell Township, 
Hunterdon County, deserves great honor for 
the way in which he fought and suffered dur- 
ing the late Civil war in defense of his adopted 
land. To all intents and purposes he is an 
American, though Ireland claims him as her 
native son, he having been born in County Ros- 
common, in June, 1845. He came to the United 
States with his mother when he was but seven 
years old, and joined his father, who had pre- 
ceded them to make a home for them in the 
land of liberty. He had settled in Lambert- 
ville, N. J., and in that vicinity the lad lived 
several years. His father died in 1854 and 
a year later our subject went to Morris County 
and began working for an uncle. He then re- 
turned to Lambertville and was employed in 
farming near there until the breaking out of the 
war. 

In 1862 John Burns enlisted as a private soldier 
in Company A, Fifteenth New Jersey Infantry, 
and was mustered in at Flemington. The first 
engagement in which he took part was the battle 
of Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862, after 
which he participated in the noted battles of 



Gettysburg, Rappahannock, the Wilderness, 
Spottsylvania Court-house and many minor skirm- 
ishes and encounters. In the last-named en- 
counter with the enemy, from May 8-12, he was 
seriously wounded, being shot by a minie-ball in 
the shoulder, another ball entering his hip, and 
still another lodging in his leg. At first he was 
conveyed to the field-hospital; thence was sent to 
the hospital at Fredericksburg, and finally was 
transferred to one at Washington, D. C. Al- 
together he languished in hospitals for nearly 
eleven months. At the end of that time, and as 
soon as his returning health and strength would 
permit, he rejoined his regiment, then stationed 
below Petersburg, and stood faithfully at his post 
of duty during the remainder of the war. 

June 16, 1865, our subject found himself once 
more in Lambertville, which seemed like home to 
him, though he had no home of his own to return 
to, and he soon diligently set to work. For a 
year and a-half he was employed at the harness- 
maker's trade in Frenchtown. In 1867 he went 
to Kansas and purchased a farm in Coffey Coun- 
ty. After living thereon a few months he became 
somewhat homesick, and returned to New Jersey, 
finding employment in Lambertville with the 
railroad company. His next move was to open 
a barber shop in Oxford, Warren County, and 
conducted the same about a year, after which he 
worked in the railroad shops of the same town 
two years. By this time he had accumulated suf- 
ficient to purchase a farm in West Amwell Town- 
ship, and having done so, he managed the place 
for six years. Going back to Kansas, he tried 
renting a farm there for twenty months, but at 
the end of that period he once more became dis- 
gusted with Kansas, and bought a farm near 
Lebanon, N. J. This homestead he cultivated 
successfully ten years or more, then sold out to 
good advantage. About this time he concluded 
to embark in an entirely different enterprise, and 
carried on a hotel in Pittstown for a year, later 
managing one at Point Pleasant, Pa., for a similar 
period. In 1890 he became the owner of the 
Washington Hotel at Ringoes, and has since suc- 
cessfully conducted the same. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



237 



The first marriage of Mr. Burns took place in 
1869, when Sarah E. Corkhuff became his wife 
Four children were born to them, viz.: Ella A. 
Sarah E., Annie A. and Mary H. The two last 
mentioned are deceased. November 16, 1883 
Mr. Burns married Mrs. Mary A. (Cole J Henry 
widow of John R. Henry. The three children 
born to our subject and wife are respectively 
John B., Jennie W. and Cora S. Fraternally Mr 
Burns is connected with Boeman Post No. 48 
G. A. R., of Flemington, and is a member of 
Magnolia Lodge No. 57, I. O. O. F. , of French- 
town. In politics he is a Republican. 



KICHARD D. SHAFER, a practical farmer 
of Readington Township, Hunterdon Coun- 
ty, is a native of this county, his birth hav- 
ing taken place in the neighboring locality of 
Clinton Township, April 5, 1829. During the 
nearly threescore and ten years of his life, he 
has dwelt within the borders of Hunterdon Coun- 
ty, and has been actively interested in whatever 
has tended to advance the welfare of the people 
among whom his lot has been cast. His is a 
record of which he may justly be proud, and is a 
legacy which should be more highly prized by 
his children than houses and lands, for his name is 
above reproach and is held in the greatest respect 
by all who know him. The life of a good man 
in a community has a far-reaching influence, and 
all who come within the sphere of the worthy 
subject of this article are insensibly uplifted and 
made better. 

Of the nine children born to William J. and 
Christiana (Demott) Shafer, three have been 
called to the silent land, viz. : John, the eldest 
son; Julia A. and William, the youngest son. 
The others are: Elizabeth, Mary, Rachel A., 
Delilah, Richard D. and Margaret E. The fa- 
ther was a successful agriculturist and was a man 
who was beloved for his man}' estimable qualities. 



In political matters he was to be found support- 
ing the Democratic party. His busy and useful 
life came to a close when he was in his sixty- 
fourth year. 

Richard D. Shafer owns and cultivates a farm 
of over one hundred and seventy-five acres. It 
is well improved and is one of the most valuable 
homesteads in this locality for the raising of a 
general line of crops. Everything about the 
premises bears the stamp of its thrifty and prac- 
tical proprietor, who takes great interest in su- 
pervising repairs and various changes for the bet- 
ter which he has made from time to time. 

The marriage of Richard D. Shafer and Anne 
Maria Kennedy took place February 17, 1853. 
They became the parents of three children, the 
eldest son deceased. The second son, Fremont 
Kennedy, was educated in Washington, N. J., 
in 1892, and married Lydia L., only daughter 
of Cornelius Wyckoff, of Vliettown, and has since 
resided on the homestead farm near White House. 
The daughter, J. Rose, who attended school at 
Washington, N. J., married Silas, son of John 
G. Schomp, of Bedminster; they have two chil- 
dren, Richard Shafer and John G., and reside on 
what was formerly known as the Anderson farm. 
Mrs. Anne Maria Shafer died October 26, 1891. 
She was a daughter of B. S. and Phebe (Free- 
man) Kennedy (married in 1820) and had ten 
sisters and four brothers, all born in Warren 
County. Herself and all of her sisters but two 
either taught school, music or painting. Two of 
the- brothers, William F. and Daniel F., were 
the first organ builders of Washington, Warren 
County. Thomas J. is a lawyer in Jersey City. 
Her great-grandfather, Samuel Kennedy, came 
to this country from Scotland and was a practic- 
ing physician, but after he settled here he studied 
for the ministry. He established his home at 
Basking Ridge, where he lies buried. His edu- 
cation was received in Edinburgh and he was a 
man of wide range of knowledge. His son, Sam- 
uel Kennedy, M. D., grandfather of Mrs. Shafer, 
first married a Miss Beavers, and after her death 
was united with Anna Shafer. He was a physi- 
cian at Johnsonburg, Warren County, and his 



2 3 8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



practice extended from Eastern, on the Delaware, 
to Lamington, a distance of sixty miles. The 
most of his first wife's children settled in Canada 
and Ohio. 

One of the older sisters of Mrs. Shafer, Eme- 
line M., married James Melick, a well-known 
farmer of New Germantown. Rosetta R., one 
of the younger members of the family, became 
the wife of Philip G. Vrom, formerly of Plucke- 
min, but for some time a resident of Bayonne and 
principal of one of the larger schools there. Ber- 
netta is a well-known music teacher; and Henrietta 
is a successful artist and portrait painter. All 
are members of the Mechanicsville Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

Mr. Shafer is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church of White House. Of kind dis- 
position, he is ready to lend a helping hand to 
the worthy who are in unfortunate circumstances. 
He is a thoroughgoing Republican. The only 
official position he ever held is that of township 
committeeman. 



(ILLIAM B. PRALL, a leading farmer 
of East Amwell Township, Hunterdon 
County, was born upon the old homestead 
which he now owns and dwells upon, and which 
has been in the family for several generations, 
having been left as an inheritance to the great- 
grandfather of the gentleman whose name heads 
this sketch by his father. The great-grandfather 
mentioned, Peter Prall by name, was a soldier in 
the war of the Revolution. He was born on the 
farm where William W. Fisher now resides. The 
father of Peter Prall was Abraham, and his 
grandfather was Aaron, who came to this vicinity 
about 1730, and settled on land in this township 
now in the possession of Henry Kline. 

The parents of William B., of whom we write, 
were Abraham and Hannah (Bellis) Prall. The 
father was born upon the homestead now owned 



and occupied by Edward Durham, in the year 
181 1. His death occurred in 1843, after which 
event his widow continued to carry on the old 
farm with the assistance of her sons, W. B. and 
Abraham, between whom the property was di- 
vided ultimately. She was born March 23, 1813, 
and died in 1883. The Pralls were all identified 
with the old United Presbyterian Church, which 
is one of the landmarks of East Amwell Town- 
ship. 

William B. Prall was born April 10, 1834, and 
was reared to maturity upon the farm where he is 
to be found to-day. His education was obtained 
in the neighborhood schools of that period, and 
as his father died when the lad was young, the 
responsibilities of life fell upon his shoulders at 
an early age. He took full charge of the farm 
when he was about eighteen, and upon reaching 
his majority he fell heir to his portion of the es- 
tate. In 1874 he erected the substantial and 
comfortable house within whose hospitable walls 
many a friend and passing traveler have since been 
entertained. He has made man}' other good im- 
provements, such as planting trees, building 
fences, etc. As the farm is situated on the Brook 
road leading from Ringoes to Wertsville, it is 
convenient to both towns. Mr. Prall has been 
engaged in raising a general line of crops and 
also does a dairy business. He has always been 
stanch in his allegiance to the Republican party 
and has been township committeeman since 1S94, 
and was formerly a commissioner for a time. 

January 30, 1855, Mr. Prall married Elizabeth 
Quick, of East Amwell Township. Five chil- 
dren have been born to them, viz. : Abraham W. , 
September 11, 1855; Cornelia, July 14, 1857; 
Annie C. , November 27, 1858; Hannah, March 
23,1866; and William B., Jr., March 14,1871. The 
eldest son resides in Ringoes, and is in the employ 
of Barton Huffman. He married Mary E. Horn, 
and has four children, Andrew, Edith, Lizzie and 
Clarence. Cornelia, the eldest daughter of our 
subject, died when less than a year old, July 9, 
1858. Annie C. is the wife of Levi H. Quick, of 
this township, and has one child, Hattie. Hannah 
is the wife of David C. Hill, a farmer of this 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



239 



neighborhood, and has a daughter, Cornelia A. 
William B. married Emma J. Johnson, Febru- 
ary 24, 1898, and resides with his father on the 
homestead. Our subject is a member of the Rea- 
ville Presbyterian Church, and has served as an 
elder in the same for about twenty years. 



-~-i •>!-»"• ' (jY 1 •■C*C{* 1— ". 



GjSHER W. VAN DOLAH, who is engaged 
Ll in farming in Kingwood Township, Hunter- 
/ l don Couuty, was born in Delaware in 1832 
and is a descendant of one of the old families of 
this county. The first of the name to locate in 
America was Hendrick Van Dolah, who emi- 
grated from Holland about 1735 and three years 
later bought a tract of land in Delaware, where 
the remainder of his life was passed. He died at 
an advanced age and was buried in Barber's Cem- 
etery. His son, Garrett, who was a farmer and 
died at about eighty-two years, had a son, Henry 
Van Dolah, who was born and reared in Dela- 
ware, and spent his entire life on the old home- 
stead, engaging in its cultivation and also follow- 
ing the trade of a wheelwright. He died when 
about forty-five years of age. 

Next in line of descent was our subject's fa- 
ther, John Van Dolah, who was born in Dela- 
ware, but in 1858 removed from there to King- 
wood Township, Hunterdon County, where he 
afterward made his home with his son. By trade 
a blacksmith, he followed this occupation for 
many years, but in later life followed farm pur- 
suits. He died at the age of eighty-one, in the 
faith of the Baptist Church, to which he had long 
belonged. His wife was Grace Opdycke, a 
daughter of Joshua and Mary (Wolverton) 
Opdycke; she attained the age of seventy-four 
years, and, like her husband, was a member of 
the Baptist Church. Their family consisted of 
two children, Asher W., and Mary, the deceased 
wife of Henry F. Trout. 

When a boy our subject attended the public 



schools near his father's home and, while his edu- 
cational advantages were meager in comparison 
with those afforded children of the present gener- 
ation, 3'et he availed himself of them to the 
utmost, and acquired a broad and valuable fund 
of information. In 1858 he bought the Richard 
Barcroft place near Barbertown, and here he has 
since resided, engaged in general farming, but 
making a specialty of fruit growing. He is a 
Democrat in political sentiments and for three 
years served as town committeeman. For some 
time during the '60s he was captain of Company 
B, Hunterdon County Brigade. Fraternally he 
is a member of the Amwell Lodge of Masons at 
Lambertville. His family are Baptists and he 
himself inclines to that faith. 



WILLIAM P. DEMOTT. In the history of 
a new country like America, when large 
and perhaps more tempting territories are 
constantly being opened for settlers in the west, 
there is a natural tendency toward leaving the 
old and tried and venturing forth into a possible 
Golconda, and when it is found, that in certain 
sections dwell families whose property has been 
handed down from father to son, for several suc- 
cessive generations, it becomes a matter of com- 
ment and admiration. The worthy citizen of 
whom we write comes from the sturdy, industri- 
ous, honest and reliable old Holland-Dutch stock, 
which has been a most important factor in the 
development and progress of New York and New 
Jersey. Over one hundred and forty years ago 
his great-grandfather, Jacob Demott, left his na- 
tive land, and, accompanied by two of his 
brothers, crossed the Atlantic to found new 
homes in the land of promise, America. April 2, 
1757, he bought the farm of two hundred acres, 
which has descended to his posterity, and con- 
tinued to till the soil and improve the place as 
long as he lived. About a year subsequent to 



240 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the date of his settlement here his son Richard 
was born (April 14, 1758) and he, in turn, in- 
herited the old farm. 

William P. Demott is the third son in a family 
of ten surviving children of Richard S. and 
Maria (Probasco) Demott, three others having 
died. Those living are as follows: Richard R., 
George R., William P., Alfred, Martha, Mary, 
Emily, Amanda, Susan and Isabelle. William 
P. Demott was born March 16, 1850, on the old 
estate and has always given his entire attention 
to the management of the property since it came 
into his hands. He is a member of the Royal 
Arcanum, and is quite independent of party in 
matters of political import. 

December 4, 1886, Mr. Demott married Annie 
M. Kinney, who has always resided in this town- 
ship. They have two children, Roscoe and Irv- 
ing. Mr. and Mrs. Demott are valued mem- 
bers of the Reformed Church of Stanton, the for- 
mer having served the congregation as treasurer 
for several years and also as elder. 



EALEB FARLEY QUICK. No one in Rar- 
itan Township, Hunterdon County, is more 
worthy of being represented in the history 
of her sterling citizens than is the gentleman 
whose name stands at the head of this sketch. It 
is the name of one who has led a life above re- 
proach — a name honored and respected by all 
who have the pleasure of acquaintanceship with 
its possessor. He has always followed the quiet, 
peaceful routine of agriculture, and, though he is 
a stanch Republican, and has filled the office of 
surveyor of highways, was justice of the peace, 
for eight years commissioner of deeds and occu- 
pied other minor offices, he has never sought 
public honors, but has shunned them when pos- 
sible. In the Presbyterian Church he has been 
an elder for about fifteen years, though his mem- 



bership extends over a much longer period, and 
he has occupied one seat in the church for half a 
century. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
John P. Quick, a native of Raritan Township. 
Gideon Quick, father of C. F. Quick, was also a 
native of this township, and here married Sarah 
Fisher. Their children were: Jacob, born in 
1818, and died in 1S96; John, born July 17, 1820; 
Anne, born August 7, 1823, and died November 
26, 1837; Caleb, of this sketch ; George W., born 
July 29, 1830, and died October 5, 1835; Mary 
C, born June 5, 1835, and died March 18, 1854; 
Martha W., born August 22, 1837, and died April 
15, 1854. The mother departed this life Novem- 
ber 21, 1837, aged thirty-six years, she having 
been born July 8, 1801. The second wife, whose 
maiden name was Clara L. Raj', became the com- 
panion and helpmate of our subject's father 
September 28, 1840, and died May 16, 1873. 
Their children were: Sarah A., born July 9, 1S41; 
Jane E., born January 24, 1845, and now the 
wife of George Comstock, of New York City; and 
Amanda M., born January 30, 1847. The father, 
who was a life-long farmer on the old homestead, 
where he was born February 17, 1793, died July 
21, 1872. He was a faithful member of the Am- 
well First Presbyterian Church of Reaville and 
was beloved and respected by all who knew him. 

Caleb F. Quick was born July 25, 1825. He 
grew up on the old homestead, remaining with 
his father until he was twenty-two 3'ears old. 
The following five years he lived on an adjoining 
farm, and at the end of that time he purchased 
the place of one hundred and two acres whereon 
he has since dwelt. Forty-five j'ears have 
elapsed since then, and in the meantime he made 
substantial improvements in the way of buildings, 
fences, etc., and greatly increased the value of 
the farm. He owns another tract of thirty acres. 
His neighbors place such confidence in his excel- 
lent judgment, as well as in his absolute integrity, 
that he has frequently been called to settle up 
estates as executor and administrator. 

November 24, 1847, Mr. Quick married Cathe- 
rine B. Holcombe, who was born January 26, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 




241 



1828, and died July 23, 1892. They had three 
children: Sarah C. , born September 4, 1849; 
Martha, born in 1854, and now the wife of John 
O. Holcombe; and Frances B., born in 1857 and 
now the wife of William N. Reed. 



GlMOS M. HART, M. D., a leading member 
LA of the medical profession of Hunterdon 
/ I County and for years a prominent citizen of 
the town of Ringoes, has a reputation for skill 
and ability in his favorite field of endeavor that is 
more than local and is well deserved. His pa- 
tients, particularly many suffering from chronic 
and hereditary diseases, are scattered throughout 
this and adjoining states and some of the number 
are treated and prescribed for by means of corres- 
pondence. He has had wide experience and was 
qualified both by nature and training for the prac- 
tice of the healing art. His broad and kindly 
sympathy with the sick and afflicted is not the 
least secret of his success and his cheering pres- 
ence is a boon wherever he goes. 

Dr. Hart was born near Pennington, Mercer 
County, September 20, 1833. His boyhood was 
passed upon a farm, his education being gained 
in the schools of the district and in the local sem- 
inary and Lafayette College, at Easton, Pa. He 
remained on the old homestead belonging to his 
father, Aaron Hart, until i860, when he came to 
Ringoes. Here he was instructed in medicine 
and directed in his studies by Mrs. Bennett, M. 
D., who was then a very prominent physician in 
this community. 

In the autumn of 1862 Dr. Hart succeeded Dr. 
Bennett in her practice hereabout and has since 
prospered beyond his expectations. He owns a 
half interest in the old homestead in Mercer 
County, where he was born, it being a valuable 
place of two hundred and ten acres, and in addi- 
tion to this has a farm in this county of thirty 
acres. When the Ringoes Canning Company was 



established in 1892 Dr. Hart was one of the men 
in getting it started and has since been a stock- 
holder and is now president of the concern. For 
twelve years he has been treasurer of Powhatan 
Lodge No. 72, I. O. O. F. , of Ringoes. He was 
president of the board of trustees of the same lodge 
and was a prime mover in the building of suitable 
quarters for the society. With the Masonic or- 
der he is connected with Darcy Lodge No. 37, 
F. & A. M. , of Flemington; with Wilson Chap- 
ter No. 13, R. A. M., and St. ElmoCommandery, 
K. T., of Lambertville. In his political affilia- 
tion he is a Republican. 

March 22, 1859, Dr. Hart married Elizabeth T. 
Wilson, of Ringoes. Four children blessed their 
union, viz.: Fannie J., wife of William J. Brown 
(a farmer in the neighborhood of Ringoes) and 
mother of two children, Alice M. and Harry H.; 
Clarence; Elmer and Laura. The doctor is the 
president of the board of trustees of the Presby- 
terian Church of this place and takes great inter- 
est in the success of the various departments of 
its work. Personally he is very popular with all 
who know him and stands high in the estimation 
of his professional brethren. 



'Y'-RA HILL, whose home is in Raritau Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County, is a native of this 
X vicinity, having been born here April 6, 
1863. Following the calling of his father, he is 
a miller and farmer, thoroughly understanding 
everj' detail of the two lines of industry. In 
1894 he purchased the property of his father, and 
has since carried on the mills, which are situated 
on the Neshanic River, in Raritan Township. 
Besides the regular grist and feed mill there is 
another one for the purpose of reducing bone to 
fertilizer, and still another mill is used for the 
manufacture of cider. Mr. Hill is the owner of 
a valuable farm located three miles southwest of 
Flemington, on the Copper Hill road, this place 



H2 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



comprising eighty-three acres. He is a reliable 
business man, meeting every promise or obliga- 
tion with promptness and absolute fidelity, and 
thus he has built up a reputation for integrity 
which is most desirable. He possesses the re- 
spect of all persons with whom he has ever had 
any dealings, and his customers are always his 
sincere friends. 

William Hill, father of our subject, was also born 
in Raritan Township, and was the son of Thomas 
Hill. When he arrived at maturity he chose for 
his companion and helpmate along the remainder 
of his journey of life, Mary Ann Higgins. Their 
eldest son, Thomas, was named in honor of the 
father of William Hill. The young man is now 
engaged in the hay, feed and coal business in 
Flemington. Augustus, the next son, is a resi- 
dent of Neshanic, N. J. Cornelia, the eldest 
daughter, is the wife of George Britton; Alvin is 
occupied in farming near Larisons Corners; 
Bessie is still at home with her mother. 

November 14, 1893, the marriage of Ira Hill 
and Miss Mary E. Kuhl was solemnized. They 
are members of the Presbyterian Church and take 
active part in the promotion of its prosperity. In 
political matters our subject is liberal, preferring 
not to bind himself to any party, but rather to 
use his ballot as he deems best and using his in- 
fluence in favor of the best man rather than the 
party candidate. 



-? — j •>»'-( : (J) f K ll <> e— 2-— 



EVI REED, an honored and representative 
It old citizen of Hunterdon County, has dwelt 
Lv for the past half a century in East Am well 
Township. He has been a committeeman of this 
district for several terms, is an active Republican, 
and has tried in every way to advance the best 
interest of the neighborhood in which his lot has 
been cast, and to use his influence for good in all 
circumstances. It was in the spring of 1847, soon 
after his marriage, that he came to his present 



home, and to him is due the credit of having made 
all the substantial improvements upon the place. 
Within its boundaries are one hundred and forty- 
five acres, almost all of this being suitable for cul- 
tivation of pasturage. 

Richard Reed, great grandfather of our subject, 
was a native of England. Having come to Amer- 
ica, he decided to settle permanently in New Jer- 
sey, and finally located on the farm where Levi, 
of this sketch, was born. There his son John and 
grandson Richard, the latter our subject's father, 
were born. This old estate, situated in what is 
now known as West Amwell Township, Hunter- 
don County, is now in the possession of David 
Larison. The grandfather of our subject was a 
patriotic son of America, and fought in the war of 
the Revolution. 

Levi Reed is next to the youngest of the eight 
children of Richard and Rebecca (Young) Reed, 
the others being named as follows: William, 
Mary, Theodore, Rachel, Richard, Betsey A. and 
John. Of the entire family circle he and one 
sister, Rachel, are the only survivors. She is the 
wife of James D. Pierce, of Somerville, N. J. 
The birth of Levi Reed occurred June 21, 1821, 
and he was but an infant when death deprived him 
of the tender protection and loving guidance of a 
father. He grew up on the farm and gave his 
dutiful assistance to his mother in the work of the 
place until he was sixteen, when he went to Rea- 
ville to learn a trade, and there served an appren- 
ticeship of four years. Going to Clover Hill at 
the expiration of that period he worked for another 
four years at his trade. 

His marriage with Miss Sarah Nevius was cel- 
ebrated in 1846 and in the spring of the next year 
he took his bride to a home in East Amwell Town- 
ship, and they have here passed their entire happy 
life together. They have been blessed with four 
children, viz.: Catherine A. , Sarah R., William 
N. and Richard. The last-named died when but 
four years of age. Catherine A. is the wife of 
Edward Nichalson, Jr., of Bucks County, Pa., 
and is the mother of two children, Emma, Mrs. 
William Baker, of Trenton, N. J., and Lizzie, at 
home. Sarah R. married Barton Huffman, who 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



243 



is represented elsewhere in this volume; William 
N. has charge of the farm and lives with his 
parents in the old home. For a helpmate he 
chose Fanny Quick, daughter of Farley Quick, 
and they have one bright little girl, Bertha 0. 
The Reed famil}' are members of the Reformed 
Church of Clover Hill. 



EHARLES H. DARMON, postmaster at Mil- 
ford and one of the well-known business men 
of this place, was born in Gloucester Coun- 
ty, N. J., in 1854, being a son of William Dar- 
mon, M. D., a successful physician who engaged 
in practice in Washington, D. C, and Philadel- 
phia for a number of years, and died in the latter 
city in 18S9, at the age of seventy-four years. The 
grandfather, William Darmon, was a life-long 
resident of New Jersey and was, it is thought, a 
native of Salem County. By the marriage of Dr. 
Darmon to Beulah R. Smith, a daughter of Ann 
T. Smith, of Salem, there were born nine chil- 
dren, and of these six are still living. They are 
named as follows: Hannah, who is the widow of 
William Sprague, of Philadelphia; Mary, wife of 
Joseph March; Samuel, a commission merchant 
residing at Philadelphia; Emma, a physician en- 
gaged in practice in Philadelphia; Charles H.; 
and Isaac, whose home is in Philadelphia. The 
mother of this family was identified with the Bap- 
tist Church of which Russell H. Conwell is the 
pastor. She died in Philadelphia when seventy- 
three years of age. 

When a child of seven years the subject of this 
sketch accompanied his parents in their removal 
from Gloucester County to Washington, D. C, 
and during the five years spent in the latter city 
he was a pupil in the public schools. Afterward 
he attended the public school at Crumpton, Md., 
for a number of years. At the age of fifteen he 
accompanied the family to Philadelphia, where 
he completed his education. In 1877 he gradu- 



ated from the University of Pennsylvania and the 
same year came to Milford, where he purchased 
the drug stock of James McPherson, and has 
since successfully carried on a drug business. 

Always a champion of the Republican party, 
the services rendered by Mr. Darmon in its be- 
half resulted in his appointment to the office of 
postmaster in July, 1897. He also served as 
deputy collector for the township. Local measures 
receive his support, and at this writing he is pres- 
ident of the Milford Delaware Bridge Company 
and secretary and treasurer of the Milford Union 
Cemetery Company. In 1880 he married Miss 
Marietta Smith, daughter of William L. and 
Rachel Smith. They are members of the Presby- 
terian Church and for twelve years he has been 
one of the trustees of the congregation. Frater- 
nally he has been connected with Perseverance 
Lodge No. 30, I. O. O. F., since 18S5, and holds 
the offices of treasurer and past district deputy. 



(JOSEPH R. CASE. The farming interests of 
Hunterdon County have an able represent- 
(~) ative in the subject of this sketch, who has 
for many years owned and operated a farm in 
Alexandria Township. The estate that he culti- 
vates (known as the old Wesley Johnson farm) 
contains one hundred and twenty-eight acres, 
divided into fields of convenient size for the pas- 
turage of stock and raising of grain. Since he 
bought the place in 1878 he has introduced a 
number of improvements, has bought modern 
farm machinery and erected some substantial 
buildings, thereby making the farm one of the 
best in the neighborhood. 

September 29, 1851, the subject of this article 
was born near Freuchtown, to John and Elizabeth 
A. (Rittenhouse) Case, also natives of Hunter- 
don County. He was the youngest of three sons, 
his brothers being Elijah R. and Dr. Levi W. 
His maternal grandfather was Elijah Rittenhouse ; 



244 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



his paternal grandfather, Godfrey Case, a native 
of Alexandria Township, engaged in farming 
here until his death, at seventy-five years. He was 
a son of William, whose father came to America 
from German}*. Our subject's father owned a saw- 
mill above Frenchtowu for fifty years and fol- 
lowed the lumber business, together with farm- 
ing, during his entire active life. His death 
occurred when he was about seventy years of age, 
and his wife passed away when sixty-six. 

Remaining with his parents until twenty-three, 
our subject then went to Virginia, where he en- 
gaged in farming for four years, and he is still the 
owner of a farm there, as well as some land in 
North Carolina. In 1878 he settled on the farm 
where he now lives, and here he has since carried 
on farm pursuits. While not active in public af- 
fairs, he is a stanch Democrat and supports the 
candidates of his party. He was a member of the 
Alliance and the Grange, and in religious con- 
nections, with his family, holds membership in 
the Presbyterian Church at Mount Pleasant. In 
1876 he married Miss Mary I. Draucker, daugh- 
ter of Adam Draucker, of Nottoway Count}-, Va. 
They have a family of eight children, namely: 
John W., Ella B., Jessie M., Levi W., EmmaB., 
Annie E., Joseph R., Jr., and Albert D. 



3ACOB S. SUTPHIN, a highly esteemed 
citizen of East Amwell Township, Hun- 
terdon County, is one of the brave soldier 
boys who donned the blue and went to the de- 
fense of their country in the days of her great peril 
during the Civil war. He was a young man 
then, barely twenty-two years of age, and full of 
patriotism and courage. In times of peace he 
has been no less a truly loyal citizen, ever ready 
to do his entire duty as a voter and as a son of 
America to unhold her laws and work for her 
best interests. 



The Sutphins are well known farmers of Hun- 
terdon County, having been located in this sec- 
tion of New Jersey for several generations, and 
have been noted for sturdy, industrious traits of 
character and for strict integrity of word and 
deed. The parents of our subject were Ralph 
and Rachel Ann (Bellis) Sutphiu. The birth of 
Jacob S. Sutphin took place in Raritan Township, 
this county, August 23, 1840. He lived at home 
with his parents until after reaching his majority, 
and was then qualified for whatever was in store 
in the future for him. He had received excel- 
lent school advantages, and was thoroughly com- 
petent to manage a farm and to carry on business 
transactions. 

About this time the war was in progress, and 
he felt it his duty to offer his services to the 
Union. He enlisted as a private soldier in Com- 
pany B, Thirty-first New Jersey Infantry, in 
August, 1862, being mustered in at Flemington. 
With his regiment he was sent to Washington, 
where he was on duty for nine months, the term 
of his enlistment, after which he returned to his 
old farm life, taking .charge of the place. He 
continued to live there until 18S0, when he moved 
to the home where he has since resided, he hav- 
ing purchased the same in 187S. It comprises 
one hundred and eighty-one acres, adapted for 
general farming and dairying. The owner makes 
a specialty of raising fruit and has four thousand 
bearing peach trees, and two thousand others 
which will be matured in a short time. A ready 
market is found for the product each year, and 
nets the proprietor a goodly income. In politics 
he is a Republican, and socially he is identified 
with Post No. 108, G. A. R., of Hopewell, and 
has served as sergeant-major and commander of 
the same. He is a member and has officiated as 
a trustee of the United Presbyterian Church. 

December 9, 1873, was an eventful day in the 
history of Mr. Sutphiu, as then it was that Miss 
Alida Fisher became his wife. She is a daughter 
of Caleb F. Fisher, a native of this township. 
Her paternal grandfather was Jacob, and her 
great-grandfather was Peter Fisher, who origi- 
nally settled upon the farm where she was born. 




CAPT. RICHARD B. READING. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



247 



Of the two children born to our subject and wife, 
one died in infancy, and the other is Raymond, 
who is still at home, and aids in the manage- 
ment of the farm. They are all most worthy 
people and possess the confidence and respect of 
all who know them. 



EAPT. RICHARD B. READING. To the 
philosopher or student of human nature 
there can be no greater pleasure than to 
trace the history of one who has risen from poor 
and humble surroundings to a high place of honor 
and influence by the strength of his own person- 
ality, and the use of the talents with which he was 
endowed. In this land where true worth is the 
only real measure of nobility, we point with 
pride to our Lincolnsand Garfields.who overcame 
poverty and obscurity in the straightforward path 
of duty, and justly feel that the greater credit is 
due them for the heights to which they have 
reached. 

In following up the story of the life of Captain 
Reading one can find naught save that which 
elicits one's admiration for the man. Heredity 
did much for him, in that his ancestors were hon- 
est, God-fearing people, striving to do their duty 
toward their fellow-men. He is a descendant of 
that John Reading who was one of the honored 
early settlers of Hunterdon County. The par- 
ents of the captain were George Jackson and 
Eliza C. (Swallow) Reading, natives of this 
(Hunterdon) county. 

Richard B. Reading was born in Raven Rock, 
Hunterdon County, June 28, 1843, and passed 
his whole life in that vicinity up to the time that 
he removed to Lambertville, a few years ago. 
In his boyhood he went to the district school in 
the winter and worked on the farm with his fa- 
ther the rest of the year. When he was but nine 
or ten years old he began to carry water and run 
errands for the men who were then engaged in 



the construction of the Belvidere Division of the 
Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1859 he commenced 
working in the blacksmith shop of the railroad 
company at Raven Rock, the first year receiving 
$25 for the twelve months of work. 

At the end of two years he was given journey- 
man's wages, and was soon made foreman. His 
father had charge of a construction corps at this 
time, and the young man joined his forces, work- 
ing as a track laborer for some time. He was 
too ambitious to keep at this business very long, 
however, and, coming to Lambertville, he en- 
tered a railroad telegraph office, and, having 
learned the business, was sent back to Raven 
Rock to take a position at the station there as an 
operator. From 1864 to 1869 he served the cor- 
poration in that place, then being transferred to 
the superintendent's office in this town. In 1871 
he was returned to Raven Rock to straighten up 
the accounts of his successor there, as he had de- 
faulted. In that position he was retained until he 
resigned in 1895, and came to Lambertville. 

In the field of politics Captain Reading has 
been very prominent. He cast his first presi- 
dential ballot for Lincoln in 1864, and has done 
much for the success of the Republican party in 
this state. In 1887 his merits were officially 
recognized by his being appointed a member 
of the New Jersey State Republican Committee, 
on which he has acted ever since, now being one 
of the executive committee. Prior to the date 
just mentioned he had distinguished himself while 
a member of the Hunterdon County Republican 
Committee, of which he was chairman for three 
years, as to him was largely due the fact that the 
county went Republican twice while he held the 
office. In 1877 he was appointed fish commis- 
sioner for this county by Gov. George B. Mc- 
Clellau, and occupied that position six years. In 
1885 he was elected secretary of the New Jersey 
senate for three years, and won the respect and 
commendation of all. In 1888 Governor Greene 
appointed him riparian commissioner of New 
Jersey, and as such he served three years. At 
this time he is general and special agent for rail- 
way companies in the legislature. In both the 



248 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Masonic and Odd Fellows' societies he holds high 
rank. In the latter he has taken all the degrees 
and is noble grand and past representative to the 
grand lodge of Pennsylvania. With the Masons 
he has taken the Knight Templar degree and 
served as past eminent commander. He also 
belongs to Lulu Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Phila- 
delphia; and is a member of the order of Elks of 
Trenton. July 16, 1897, he was appointed as in- 
spector of rifle practice and was placed on the 
staff of Colonel Bamford.of the Seventh Regiment, 
with the rank of captain. 

In 1866 Mr. Reading married Sarah Morris, 
of Point Pleasant, Pa. She was born in Bucks 
County, Pa., and is a daughter of Elias and 
Elizabeth (Seese) Morris. The captain and wife 
have three children, the eldest of whom, Willard 
B., was born in Raven Rock in 1868. He grad- 
uated from Trenton Business College and is now 
an employe of the Pennsylvania Railway Com- 
pany. Richard B., Jr., was born in Raven Rock 
in 1876 and graduated from the Trenton Business 
College in 1897. Bertha M.,the only daughter, 
is attending college at Hackettstowu, N. J. 



— «>H®^®Jf<l- 



DWIN HUTCHISON, who died August 
*&) 21, 1897, was a native of Belvidere. His 
__ career was replete with adventure and dan- 
ger, owing to the nature of his life occupation, as 
he was a detective, and his death resulted from 
the effects of a struggle with four men who were 
breaking the law by stealing rides on the railroad. 
His service was solicited by the government on 
several occasions when unusual daring and skill 
were required in some direction, and for years 
he was occupied in bringing criminals into the 
hands of justice. He was a man of quiet deter- 
mination. 

When he was untimely cut down by the hand 
of death, Mr. Hutchison was in the prime of 
vigorous manhood and activity. He was born 



November 1, 1S54, and always made his home or 
headquarters in Belvidere. His parents were 
Zachariah D. and Catherine (Lake) Hutchison, 
the former of Scotch-Irish extraction. For 
twenty-eight years Z. D. Hutchison has been in 
the employ of the Belvidere & Delaware Bridge 
Company. His wife died in 1865, and of their 
three children onl} r one survives, Eleanor, wife of 
O. H. P. Reimer, of this place. 

The education of Edwin Hutchison was ob- 
tained in the Belvidere schools, and when he was 
sixteen he commenced learning the trade of a ma- 
chinist. On two occasions he acted in the capac- 
ity of policeman, and in the spring of 1884 was 
appointed state detective by the governor, hav- 
ing in the meantime made more than a 
local reputation. He held the office of state 
detective for thirteen years, or until his death. 
He was chief of police and constable in Bel- 
videre for a number of years and did some 
very clever work during the great strikes 
in the coal regions in Pennsylvania, and also 
during other strikes in New York, Newark, Jer- 
sey City, Perth Amboy and elsewhere. In his 
possession were letters from dozens of prominent 
judges, lawyers, statesmen and business men in 
this part of the United States, commending his 
shrewdness, general ability, intrepidity and 
fidelity to duty. For a long period he was en- 
gaged in special work for the Delaware, Lack- 
awanna & Western Railroad and he was still in 
the employ of that corporation at the close of his 
career. He is survived by his wife, whose maiden 
name was Lillie Pearson, and to whom he was 
married July 26, 1884. 



PS 

m 



PNETER STAATS is a substantial citizen and 
y? progressive farmer of East Amwell Township, 
^3 Hunterdon County. He has lived upon one 
farm, the one which he now owns and cultivates, 
for over twenty years, in the meantime having 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



249 



made good improvements upon the place, and ma- 
terially increased its value. All local enterprises 
find in him a sincere friend, but he has never been 
an aspirant for public office. He prefers to do his 
duty as a humble citizen, giving his support to the 
principles and candidates of the Republican part}', 
and to devote his time and attention to his home 
and own business affairs. He is especially inter- 
ested in religious work and gives liberally of his 
time and means to the support of the Amwell 
Presbyterian Church, with which he holds mem- 
bership. In the spring of 1897 he was appointed 
to serve as an elder in the congregation, and pre- 
viously acted in the capacity of a trustee for about 
a dozen years. 

The parents of Peter Staats were John B. and 
Lucretia S. (Sutphin) Staats, natives of Hunter- 
don County. The Staats family, as may be infer- 
red from the name, originated in Holland many 
generations ago. The birth of Peter Staats oc- 
curred in Hillsboro Township, Somerset County, 
December 31, 1854. He was reared in that vicin- 
ity, and until he w T as seven years of age lived in 
the village of Hillsboro. Then, with his parents, 
he removed to a farm near by, and received prac- 
tical training in agricultural employments and 
pursuits. His education was acquired in the 
public schools of his home neighborhood, and 
when he was twenty- three years old he left home 
to make his own way in the world as best he 
might. 

The first year in the independent career of our 
subject he rented land, and diligently worked from 
morning until night in order that he might have 
a sufficient sum of money to make a payment upon 
a homestead of his own. The following year he 
had succeeded so well that he purchased the place 
where he now resides, it comprising ninety-one 
acres. This was in the fall of 1877, and from that 
day to this he has been prospered, though he has 
had reverses, as it falls to the lot of all mankind 
to have such backsets. He aims to keep posted 
in all modern methods of fanning, is a member of 
the Grange and takes leading agricultural jour- 
nals. 

The marriage of Mr. Staats and Miss Maria V. N. 



Sebring was celebrated September 13, 1876. She 
was born in the same place as her husband, being 
a daughter of Isaac and Cornelia S. Sebring. To 
the marriage of our subject and wife two children, 
a son and a daughter, were born, named respect- 
ively John B. and LUlie F. , and they are both still 
at home with their parents. The family enjoy 
the regard and esteem of all who know them, and 
their warm personal friends in this community are 
legion. 



NR. RICHARDS has engaged in business 
in Belvidere for a period of about twenty 
years. By his energy and correct methods 
of carrying on business he has won the principal 
trade of the townspeople in his line. He owns 
and conducts a market, and in addition ships 
considerable produce to New York City. 

The Richards family were among the early 
settlers of Orange County, N. Y., but the grand- 
father of our subject was a wealthy land owner 
of Sussex Count}', N. J., and donated the site of 
the court house at Newton. The father of H. R. 
was Francis G. Richards, who was born in Pas- 
saic County, N. J., and died in 1S85. By occu- 
pation he was an undertaker for the most part, 
though he also carried on a cabinet-making shop, 
and at one time was the owner of a meat market. 
He was a good citizen, liberal and public spirited, 
and possessed the love and respect of all who 
knew him. Religiously he was a member of the 
Reformed Church. His undertaking business is 
still managed by his widow, who is now in her 
eightieth year, yet very active and a good finan- 
cier. Of her eleven children all survive save one. 
Her maiden name was Sarah Brown. 

H. R. Richards was born in Passaic County, 
N. J., September 19, 1856, and when he was a 
mere lad of thirteen he left school in order to earn 
his own livelihood. Having mastered the details 
of the butcher's business, he decided to settle per- 
manently in Belvidere and opened a market, 



250 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



which he has since managed. He has acquired 
a competence and is a stockholder in the Warren 
National Bank. Fraternally he is an Odd Fel- 
low, and he holds membership with the First 
Presbyterian Church. He married first Mary A. 
Schultz, daughter of Palmer Schullz, of Moun- 
tain View, Passaic County, N. J., who died in 
1890, leaving two children, Francis P. and Gor- 
don J. He married his present wife, Elizabeth 
D. Perry, July 28, 1892. 



EWIS SUTPHIN. There has been much 
It said in regard to the respective merits of 
|_J life in the city and life in the country, 
and though a multitude of young men leave 
the farm ever}' year to seek a more or 
less precarious livelihood in the great cities, 
already crowded in every avenue aud pur- 
suit with countless thousands read}', eager and 
capable to hold almost any position that might 
offer, undoubtedly those who choose to quietly 
and industriously devote themselves to agriculture 
are the wisest. True it is that great fortunes are 
occasionally made by men of unusual genius and 
enterprise, but the vast majority utterly fail, aud 
ultimately return to the old farm, or else wearily 
toil in the factory, store or office for little more 
than sufficient to keep the soul and body together. 
The farmer lives near to the great heart of 
nature, enjoys the pure air, free from the dust 
and smoke of the city, may have on his table the 
freshest and choicest of food from the garden and 
orchard, aud pure water, untainted by sewerage; 
these blessings, and a thousand others, of which 
he is scarcely conscious perhaps, are his heritage. 
When the time came for him to make a choice 
of occupation, the subject of this article deter- 
mined that he would follow the calling of his 
father. He was born on the farm where he now 
resides in East Amwell Township, Hunterdon 
County, June 3, 1S29. Here he grew to man's 



estate and received good training in agricultural 
affairs. When he was twenty he began to work 
the farm on shares, and in i860 purchased the 
place, which numbers one hundred and seven 
acres, suitable for general crops and dairying. 
Mr. Sutphin has been very successful in his busi- 
ness enterprises, and possesses the respect of all 
with whom he has ever had any dealings. In 
politics he is a Republican, and the only position 
of public character that he has ever been induced 
to hold was that of road supervisor. 

The partner of Mr. Sutphin's joys and sorrows 
bore the maiden name of Ann Waldron. They 
were married February 18, 1859, in Raritan 
Township, where the bride was born in 1842. 
They have had nine children, four of whom are 
deceased. Those living are: Arthur L., who is 
a resident of Clover Hill; Cora, who is the wife 
of Alvin Hill, of this township; Lewis C. , Jr., 
Howard C. and Annie W. , who are at home. 
Elizabeth, who married George Whitenack, died 
August 10, 1885, and Julia E. died January 15 
of the same year. John C. and Samuel died in 
infancy. The family are members of the Presby- 
terian Church of Reaville, and for thirty years 
our subject has been a deacon in the congrega- 
tion. 



pQlLLIAM McCREA, who was elected to 
\ A / the board of freeholders of Hunterdon 
V V County, and served as such most credit- 
ably for five years, was for two years of that 
period a director and for a similar length of time 
on the finance committee of that honorable body. 
In his political convictions he is a stanch Demo- 
crat, warmly seconding the principles advanced by 
his party, and using his franchise on behalf of its 
nominees. By occupation he is a farmer, and is 
the proprietor of a valuable homestead in Read- 
ington Township. 

The parents of our subject were Archibald and 
Rachel (Alpaugh) McCrea, both of whom were 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



251 



natives of this county. The father was a direct de- 
scendant of that revered minister, Rev. McCrea, 
whose daughter, Jane, was massacred by the In- 
dians during the war of the Revolution in 1777, 
the red men having been incited to the cruel deed 
by the British, who wished to take revenge upon 
the family for their heroic aid and sympathy with 
the rebellious colonists of the mother country. 
Archibald McCrea grew to manhood in Hunter- 
don County, and, after his marriage, concluded 
to try his fortune in Illinois. He accordingly re- 
moved to Fulton County, and while a resident 
there the war came on, and he enlisted as a vol- 
unteer in Company G, One Hundred and Third 
Illinois Infantry. He faithfully stood at the post 
of duty for nearly three years, participating in 
many engagements and battles of importance, and 
was finally captured and sent to that frightful 
prison, Andersonville, where he who entered 
"left hope behind." He did not long survive 
the privations and cruelty of his treatment there, 
and thus his life was a sacrifice to his love for his 
country. Death would have appeared to him 
much kindlier had he come on the swift wings of 
a bullet than in the long-drawn-out suffering of 
that foulest of foul prisons, and fate seemed terri- 
bly cruel to have reserved him for this, when it 
had spared him in countless engagements with 
the enemy on the fair field of battle. He left a 
widow and three children to mourn the loss of a 
kind father and husband. In 1865 they returned 
to Hunterdon County. 

William McCrea, who was born in Fulton 
County, 111., January 23, 1859, is, nevertheless, 
practical^ a Hunterdon County boy, as he was a 
mere child when he was brought back to this 
neighborhood, and here he was reared to ma- 
turity and has always made his home. He is the 
only survivor of his family. As soon as he had 
reached a suitable age he commenced to work on 
a farm and has always persisted in this occupa- 
tion, and with good success. He has had to rely 
solely upon his own resources in the battle of 
life, and has wrought out for himself a name for 
industry, honesty and other sterling virtues of a 
manly character. He eminently deserves the 



genuine respect that is freely accorded him by 
those who have always known him, and his place 
in local society could hardly be filled. Both he 
and his good wife are members of the Reformed 
Church of Readington, he being a deacon at this 
time. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd 
Fellows' society, belonging to the White House 
Station lodge. 

November 29, 1882, Mr. McCrea married 
Emma Schomp, daughter of the late Peter 
Schomp, of this township, of whom mention is 
made elsewhere in this volume. They became 
the parents of one child, a daughter, Mary E. , 
who is at home. Mrs. McCrea died February 26, 
1896, and on the 18th of May, 1898, Mr. McCrea 
married Mrs. Maria Schomp (nee Berkaw.) 



»®S*<4 «— f- 



GJ1 BRAHAM J. PRALP is a representative of 
LI the men of energy, ability and enterprise 
/ ) who have made Hunterdon County promi- 
nent in the state. His name is associated with 
the agricultural interests of East Am well Town- 
ship, where he owns and resides upon the old 
homestead where he was born, April 28, 1840. 
He is a son of Abraham and Hannah (Bellis) 
Prall, who were highly respected citizens of this 
community for many years. 

Having finished his education in the public 
schools of his district, Abraham J. Prall started 
out to make his own way in the world by remov- 
ing to a part of his father's farm and engaging in 
cultivating the tract. He had early learned by ex- 
perience and practice under his parents' judicious 
instruction everything necessary to the proper 
management of a farm, and was still enabled to 
turn to them for further advice whenever it was 
required. With characteristic energy he at once 
began to make substantial improvements on the 
farm, and, in fact, has constructed most of the 
buildings, fences, etc. , on the place. He owns 
one hundred and ten acres here, and does a gen- 



252 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



eral dairy and farming business, having succeeded 
from the first. He is a Republican in his politi- 
cal standing, and is greatly interested in the suc- 
cess of that organization. At the same time he 
is not a politician in the ordinary meaning of the 
term, nor has he ever sought or desired public 
office. In church work and charitable enterprises 
he takes an active part, and since 1867 he has 
been an elder in the Reaville Presbyterian Church, 
and has also served as a trustee of the same. 

January 27, 1861, Mr. Prall married Miss 
Mary, daughter of David S. Hill. To this mar- 
riage seven children were born, of whom the 
eldest, Adeline H., born November 2, 1861, is the 
wife of V. B. Lowe, of Newark, N. J.; William 
B., born July 4, 1864, is deceased; David S., born 
December 10, 1865, holds a responsible position as 
an inspector in a store in Omaha, Neb. ; Mary, born 
April 11, 1868, is the wife of Harry D. Phillips; 
Carrie, born June 25, 1872, is the wife of Joseph 
Phillips; J. Scofield was born January 27, 1875; 
and Horace G., the youngest, was born M arcn 6, 
1881. 



30HN W. HOFFMAN is the owner and 
manager of the Hoffman House, in New 
Germantown, Hunterdon County. This is 
one of the cleanest, cheeriest, most homelike hotels 
to be found in the county and the traveler is 
always sure of a hospitable welcome and all the 
accommodations of our modern civilization. The 
proprietor is thoroughly conversant with the bus- 
iness, and caters to the wishes and needs of the 
public in a manner that wins for him regular 
patronage from the best class of people who find 
themselves in this locality. 

The subject of this article is a young, energetic 
man, progressive and enterprising. He was born 
April 12, 1S66, in Fox Hill, now Fairmount, 
Morris County, just over the boundary line of 
this county. He is a son of Isaac A. and Mary 



A. (Eick) Hoffman, and a grandson of Jacob 
Hoffman, who was a shoemaker by trade and 
owned a good farm near Califon, in this county. 
Isaac A. Hoffman is a farmer by occupation, and 
makes his home near White House. In his fam- 
ily there are five children, of whom John W. is 
the eldest, and the others are Myrtle, wife of 
Melancthon Apgar, of White House, an employe 
of the New Jersey Central Railroad; Harry C, 
William and Mamie. 

The boyhood of our subject was spent with his 
parents on the home farm, where he led the usual 
happy, careless life of the farmer's boy, a part of 
his time being given to attending the district 
school, and the remainder divided between work 
and play. At the age of twenty-two he accepted 
the general agency for T. C. Fielding's emble- 
matic charts for various fraternal orders. The 
company is a Boston (Mass.) organization, sole 
publishers of this style or class of engraving in 
the United States. Though he had had no previ- 
ous experience to amount to anything in the 
world of business, young Hoffman made a suc- 
cess of his venture, and remained with this one 
firm for a period of eight years, giving entire sat- 
isfaction. 

April 20, 1889, Mr. Hoffman married Etta, 
daughter of Milton G. and Nancy (McNair) 
Horton, who w'ere natives of Morris County, N. 
J. Mrs. Hoffman was born in Fairmount, and 
by her marriage has become the mother of three 
children: Floyd, who died when but ten months 
old; Florence and Blanche. 

After residing a year in Fairmount after his 
marriage, our subject removed to German Valley, 
Morris County, where he lived five years, while 
traveling on the road as a salesman. He then 
purchased the New Germantown Hotel of Samuel 
Clark, and has since carried it on under its pres- 
ent name. He has made many important 
changes in the building, placing the parlors on 
the southern side of the house, adding a reading- 
room, putting in steam heat, and making other 
modern improvements. The dining room is 
bright, clean and well appointed in ever)' respect 
and the food served is very appetizing and invit- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



253 



ing, consisting largely of fresh country produce, 
well cooked. In political affairs, Mr. Hoffman's 
views coincide with the policy of the -Democratic 
party, and socially he belongs to Chester Lodge 
No. 209, I. O. O. F. , of German Valley, and is 
past grand of the same. He is also affiliated with 
the Masonic order, belonging to Prospect Lodge 
No. 24, F. & A. M. A Knight of Pythias, he is 
a member of Fidelity Lodge No. 123, of Califon, 
and in the Order of Red Men he is associated 
with Shabbekong Tribe No. 46, of Junction, 
N.J. 



HON. WILLIAM H. MARTIN. For about 
thirty years this gentleman has been an 
honored citizen of the flourishing town of 
Frenchtown, Hunterdon County, and for twenty- 
three years of this time he has been connected 
with the Union National Bank here. He is now 
serving his twelfth year as the president of this 
well-known institution, which is one of the most 
substantial ones in the state. Mr. Martin stands 
among the well-known financiers and politicians 
of western New Jersey. He is a loyal Democrat 
and he has never been defeated for any office for 
which he was a candidate, although his home dis- 
trict has usually gone Republican at other elec- 
tions. From 1888 to 1890 inclusive he was a 
member of the assembly, and each year that he 
ran for the position he received an increased ma- 
jority. In 1891, after an exciting and hard- 
fought campaign, he was elected senator by a 
plurality of nearly a thousand votes, his opponent 
having been Capt. John Shields, a man of in- 
fluence and high standing in the ranks of the 
Republicans. In 1893 he acted as chairman of 
the committees on riparian rights and state prison 
and was a member of the committees on railroads 
and canals and corporations. 

Senator Martin was born in New Jersey, June 
17, 1846, his birthplace being in the vicinity of 
Little York, Hunterdon County. He received a 



good general education. He developed an espe- 
cial aptitude for commercial transactions and 
since 1875 he has been engaged in business in 
Frenchtown. He has met with success in his 
various undertakings and has held local positions 
of trust and responsibility with credit to himself 
and friends. In January, 1887, he was elected a 
director of the Alexandria Bridge Company and 
the following year was made president of the con- 
cern. November 17, 1887, he was elected presi- 
dent of the Union National Bank, to fill the va- 
cancy caused by the death of Hugh E. Warford, 
and he has continued to hold this position up to 
the present time. 

In 1873 Mr. Martin first came before the pub- 
lic in an official capacity, he being then elected 
tax collector for the borough of Frenchtown by a 
large majority. The succeeding year he was re- 
elected, receiving a still greater number of votes, 
after which he was a member of the common 
council, being elected for four successive j^ears, 
beginning with 1S77. In 1881 he was chosen 
mayor of the town and re-elected the next year. 
In all of his varied public life he has ever sought 
to promote the welfare of his fellows in every pos- 
sible way and to this he doubtless owes much of 
his success. 

Mr. and Mrs. Martin are the parents of one 
child, a daughter, Ella J., now the wife of Rev. 
W. A. Long, D. D., of Newton, N. C. Mrs. 
Martin was in maidenhood Miss Lizzie Mettler, 
and is a daughter of Levi Mettler, of Kingwood. 



3ACOB A. SPECHT is engaged in general 
merchandising in New Germantown, Hun- 
terdon County. He has been the proprietor 
of the store that he now operates, for nearly twen- 
ty years, carrying a well-selected stock of hard- 
ware, dry goods, boots and shoes, hats, caps, 
clothing, etc. In his business affairs he has 
shown excellent judgment and foresight, fairness 



254 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in all his dealings with others and perseverance 
in whatever he has undertaken. Thus he has 
wrought out for himself a success that he richly 
deserves and at the same time possesses the confi- 
dence and respect of the whole community in 
which he dwells. 

The parents of our subject were John and Eliz- 
abeth (Kinkel) Specht, who were much- respected 
citizens in their home place in the province of 
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. The father was a 
farmer when in early life and in his prime and for 
years was the burgomaster of his own village, a 
position of honor and responsibility, as every Ger- 
man knows. Of his six children three are now 
living in America: John, who is mentioned upon 
another page of this work; Henry, who lives near 
Lake Hopatcong, N.J.; and Jacob A. 

The birth of the subject of this review took 
place in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, March 15, 
1838. He was a student in the government 
schools during the required period, and when he 
was but fifteen he bade adieu to all the friends of 
his boyhood and set sail for America, the prom- 
. ised laud. His elder brother, John, had preceded 
him about six years and was then located in New 
Germantown. Therefore the youth came direct 
to this town and here he has always dwelt since, 
with the exception of two or three years when he 
was absent serving his apprenticeship. At first 
he tried the shoemakers' trade, working in Me- 
chanicsville, and as this business was not at all to 
his taste he learned that of cabinet-making. This 
he followed for several years in this town and vi- 
cinity, after which he was employed for a year or 
two in his brother's tanyard. In 1862 he entered 
the store of J. R. Fisher, of this place, as a clerk, 
serving in that capacity for a year, when the firm 
sold out and then for two years longer he was in 
the employ of the successors of Mr. Fisher, Messrs. 
Honeyman and VanDoren. In 1865 Mr. Specht 
purchased the interest of Mr. Honeyman, the bus- 
iness being conducted thereafter under the name 
of Van Doren & Specht until 187 1. Mr. Fisher 
then became a member of the firm, succeeding 
Mr. Van Doren, whose share he bought, and the 
style of the company was changed to Fisher & 



Specht. As such they did business, building up 
a large and paying trade, but in 1880 our subject 
withdrew from the concern, selling out to William 
P. Fisher, who wished to become a member of 
his father's enterprise. At this time our subject 
established an independent business, which has 
commanded a large share of the patronage of his 
old customers, as well as claiming that of many 
new ones. 

Politically Mr. Specht is associated with the 
Democratic party and has officiated in numerous 
local positions of trust and honor, among these 
having been a freeholder. He was formerly a 
member of the Masonic fraternity but is not now 
active in the same. He is a valued member of 
the Lutheran Church and has been an officer in 
the same. January 1, 1868, he married Emeline, 
daughter of John B. and Maria (Abel) Melick. 
She is a native of this county, as are also her 
parents. The only child in the family of our 
subject and wife is Everetta, an accomplished 
}'oung lady and the organist in the Lutheran 
Church. 



jILLIAM BARRY, Jr., is the proprietor 
and manager of a well conducted livery in 
Belvidere. He is a young man of energy, 
and has succeeded in winning a large and re- 
munerative patronage in this vicinity. He has 
been a great lover of fine horses as long as his 
memory reaches into the past, and is consid- 
ered by all to be a competent judge of superior 
horse flesh. It was in the spring of 1S90 that 
he established himself in business in this, his 
native town, and from the first his success 
seemed assured. His livery is one of the best 
in the county, and is equipped with good car- 
riage and saddle horses, and a fine line of car- 
riages, carts and light road vehicles. The 
traveler may be sure of courteous treatment on 
the part of the proprietor, and to the local cit- 
izen he needs no special recommendation, for 



-yyvW&^'' ru '^ 



j} *f£ " &£& 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



257 



he has always resided in Belvidere, where his 
merits as a business man are favorably esteemed. 
The birth of William Barry, Jr., occurred 
thirty-eight years ago, February 22, i860. His 
father, William Barry, Sr., is still living, being 
about sixty years of age, and still hale and 
hearty. He is a native of Ireland, and came to 
America about forty-seven years ago, since which 
time he has been chiefly engaged in railroading, 
in various capacities, now being road supervisor. 
His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine 
Driscoll, is also a native of the Emerald 
Isle, and is about sixty years of age. Of their 
ten children seven survive. Our subject was a 
pupil in the public schools of this town until he 
was about eighteen years old, when he started 
forth to make his own way in the world. For a 
short time he worked for a railroad company. He 
is reliable and popular with his patrons. He is 
unmarried, and in religious belief is a Catholic. 



■»>K®(©)®^<)- 



(JOHN V. STILLWEEE, an energetic and 
I progressive } r oung business man of White 
Q) House Station, Hunterdon County, has been 
located in this bustling railroad town scarcely two 
and one-half years, but in the meantime has built 
up a large and remunerative trade. He is a 
dealer in all kinds of pine, spruce and hemlock 
lumber, in coal of various kinds, in fertilizers, 
adamant wall plaster, dry goods and groceries. 

A son of our well-known citizen, George Still- 
well, of whom notice appears in another part of 
this volume, John V. was born July 29, 1865, in 
Readington Township, and was reared to man's 
estate upon the parental homestead. In the dis- 
trict schools near his home he received his ele- 
mentary education, adding to this the experience 
obtained in the world's battlefields, and the re- 
sults of his private reading and study. He is a 
Republican in political convictions, and is greatly 
interested in the success of his favorite princi- 



ples. July 1, 1897, under President McKinley, 
he received the appointment of postmaster. He is 
identified with the Independent Order of Fores- 
ters, which has a lodge in White House Station, 
andEodgeNo. 207, I. O. O.F., ofWhite House. 
In November, 1891, was solemnized the mar- 
riage of Mr. Stillwell and Annie Demott, whose 
father, J. R. Demott, is a leading citizen of Stan- 
ton, N. J. The union of our subject and wife 
has been blessed with one daughter, Edna, and a 
son, John. The family attend the Reformed 
Church, and are liberal supporters of its many 
departments of usefulness and activity. 



QlMPSON S. STOUT is one of the native 
7\ sons of East Amwell Township, Hunterdon 
C*y County, his birth having taken place upon 
the farm adjoining the one which he now owns 
and cultivates, November 28, 1840. From his 
boyhood he was thoroughly patriotic, and while 
the shadows of the Civil war were becoming more 
and more serious, he could scarcely be restrained 
from enlisting in the defense of his loved country. 
Finally, in September, 1862, he volunteered in 
Company D, Thirty-first New Jersey Regiment, 
as a private soldier, and was mustered into the 
regular service at Flemington. With his regi- 
ment he went to Washington, D. C, thence to 
Bell Plains and Fredericksburg, and at the end 
of nine months returned home to the cruiet rou- 
tine of farm work. 

The parents of our subject were Nathan and 
Mary A. (Fisher) Stout. They were most 
worthy people, loved and esteemed by all who 
knew them. Thoroughly congenial and happy 
in their wedded life, they were not long separated 
by death, for when the aged husband was sum- 
moned to his reward his faithful wife rapidly 
failed, and about a week later was placed by his 
side in the quiet cemetery. The father was in 
his eightieth year, while the mother was eighty- 



253 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



three years and three months old. With the ex- 
ception of onr subject their children have all 
passed to the better land. The eldest, William 
F., died September 18, 1872, at Independence, 
Iowa. Henry H., the next of the family, was a 
lieutenant in Company K, Fifth Wisconsin In- 
fantry, having risen from the ranks; was killed 
at the battle of Spottsylvania Court-house, May 
10, 1864, and lies buried in the National Ceme- 
tery at Fredericksburg. Lucretia died September 
7, 1873, and Mary Y. died December 23, 1891. 
The Stout family in America is descended from 
Richard Stout, a native of Nottinghamshire, 
England. He married Penelope Van Princes and 
on coming to America settled in Middletown, 
Monmouth County, N. J. 

When he returned from the southern battle- 
fields Mr. Stout devoted himself to the cultiva- 
tion of the old farm on which he had always 
lived. He continued to manage the place until 
1 89 1, when he removed to the fine homestead 
where he may be found to-day. He has a place 
containing two hundred acres, and another tract 
of two hundred acres more, including the wooded 
or timberland property. One farm near Quaker- 
town owned by him has eighty-six acres, and 
another farm in West Amwell Township contains 
forty acres. He is a charter member of the Lam- 
bert Boeman Post No. 48, at Flemington, and is 
affiliated with the Republican party. He mar- 
ried Miss Julia H. Smith October 15, 1884. She 
is the daughter of Robert R. and Rebecca (Young) 
Smith, natives of this county, now deceased. 



DIJAH HOLCOMBE, a prominent agricult- 
>) urist of Hunterdon County, has owned and 
_ _ carried on the farm where he now makes his 
home for nearly forty years. It is situated in 
Delaware Township and contains one hundred 
and thirty acres within its boundaries. Arable 
and in a high state of cultivation, it is a very de- 



sirable and valuable place, being equally well 
adapted for the raising of cereals and ordinary 
crops or for dairying and fruit growing. The 
proprietor of this homestead is a practical man of 
affairs, and, having given much of his life to agri- 
culture, is thoroughly acquainted with the sub- 
ject in all its details. 

The father of our subject was John Holcombe, 
a native of this township, and son of Thomas 
Holcombe, also born in Hunterdon County. 
John Holcombe married Maria Holcombe, and 
four children were born to their union, viz.: 
Mary, Cornelia, Thomas and Elijah, of this 
sketch. The last-mentioned was born in the 
township of West Amwell, Hunterdon County, 
January 20, 1828, and was a lad of eight years or 
thereabout when, with the rest of his family, he 
removed to East Amwell Township. As was the 
custom at that time he worked on the farm with 
his father during much of the year, only attend- 
ing school in the winter season, and thus his 
learning at the age of fourteen, when he left home, 
was rather rudimentary. Friction in the outside 
world, observation and experience and reading, 
however, soon made him competent to meet the 
ordinary requirements of life, and his native 
talent and quick mind readily grasped and mas- 
tered every difficulty as soon as it presented itself. 
When he was fourteen years old he started out to 
make his own way in the world, and began serv- 
ing a three years' apprenticeship to the tailor's 
trade in Hopewell. Subsequently he followed 
this calling for five years, after which he entered 
a store at Wertsville, and was employed there for 
two years. His next venture was to invest in a 
hotel business at Wertsville, and during the next 
six years he was quite successful in the inter- 
prise. Having sold out, he purchased the farm 
where he has since dwelt, and from that time to 
the present he has devoted his whole attention to 
the cultivation of his property. He is a Republi- 
can in politics, and in religious faith is a Presby- 
terian, and gives liberally to the cause. 

February 21, 1857, Mr. Holcombe married Miss 
Mary E. Sutphin, who was born and reared in 
this county and is a daughter of Derrick and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



259 



Elizabeth Sutphin, of old and respected families 
in this portion of New Jersey. The union of our 
subject and his estimable wife was graced by 
seven children, but three of the number are de- 
ceased, John S., Abraham, and Maria, who mar- 
ried William Runkle and left one child, Mary H. 
Those who remain are Cornelia A., wife of Will- 
iam H. Hilliard; Catherine, wife of William 
Quick; Oliver, in Philadelphia; and Hannah, at 
home. 



P)ETER V. DAERYMPLE. It is quite fitting 
\X that the lives of good and useful men should 
\S be perpetuated in history by those who have 
been uplifted and made better by their example 
and influence. No one came within the scope of 
the honored citizen whose name stands at the 
head of this sketch without being benefited in 
one way or another, and the annals of Hunterdon 
County would be sadly incomplete if his name 
were omitted. His life nearly spanned this 
century and came to a close in 1897. 

Peter V. Dalrymple, formerly of Kingwood, 
was born February 23, 1S11, in this county, 
wherein his ancestors had resided for several 
generations. His father, John Dalrymple, passed 
his whole life within the limits of this county, 
being occupied in farming. He married Wilhel- 
mina Vanderbelt and to them were born seven 
children, of whom but two are now living,- viz.: 
Sarah M., who is the widow of Joseph Case; and 
Armina, widow of Herman Eittle. John Dal- 
rymple, who was a member and a deacon in the 
Baptist Church for many years, lived to be about 
fourscore years old. His father, Jesse, was a 
native of Alexandria Township, this county. 

The subject of this narrative was reared upon 
a farm, and quite naturally decided to adopt the 
same means of gaining a livelihood as had his 
forefathers. For over thirty years he was occu- 
pied in the management of his valuable home- 
stead in Kingwood Township. Success came to 



crown his industrious efforts, and during the last 
years of his life he had abundant means where- 
with to surround himself with many of the 
luxuries as well as all necessities. In his po- 
litical convictions he was an adherent of the 
principles of the Republican party. For years he 
was connected with the Baptist Church, was very 
active in the advancement of all worthy religious 
and charitable enterprises, and for some years 
was a deacon in the congregation. Happily and 
peacefully his life drew to its close, and eighty -six 
summers had passed over his head ere the sum- 
mons came and the "well done, good and faithful 
servant, enter thou into the joys of thy Eord" 
resounded in his ears. 

In 1839 was solemnized the marriage of Peter 
Dalrymple and Mary Ann, daughter of George 
and Rachel (Godown) Hicre. Of the nine chil- 
dren that came to bless their union all but two 
are still living and are as follows: G. Watson; 
Rachel J.; Hannah, wife of William Dalrymple; 
Sarah, Mrs. Joseph Hoff; Rutser; Emma, wife of 
A. E. Roberson; and Charles M., of Ridgefield 
Park, now engaged in teaching school. Hattie 
died when thirty-two years old, and Marietta died 
at the age of eighteen months. 



"T DWARD M. BEESEEY, D. D. S., has been 
V) engaged in the practice of dentistry in Bel- 
_ videre for over a quarter of a century, and 
is one of the most prominent of her citizens. He 
is a native of Dennisville, Cape May County, N. 
J., born June 22, 1845. His education in the 
higher branches of knowledge was gained in the 
West Jersey Academy, at Bridgeton, and the 
Pennsylvania Dental College, in Philadelphia, 
where he graduated in 1867. His initial work 
in his profession was at Absecon, Atlantic 
County, N. J. In 1S71 he came to Belvidere, 
and has since made this place his home. His 
practice is large and lucrative, and his ability 



260 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



has been recognized by his fellow-dentists, who 
elected him as a member of the state board of 
examiners in dentistry. 

He served as sergeant- at-arms in the New 
Jersey senate from 1870 to 1873, and in 1882 was 
engrossing clerk of the same honorable body. 
He has always been a stanch Republican. 
Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Warren 
Dodge No. 13, F. & A. M. November 11, T873, 
he married Carrie A., daughter of Israel Harris, 
who for forty years was cashier of the Belvidere 
National Bank. The eldest child of the doctor 
is Eleanor, who is a practicing physician in 
Newark, N. J. The other daughter, Mary, is 
the wife of Frank Matthews, of Brooklyn, N. 
Y. ; and Maurice, the only son, is a graduate of 
Belvidere high school in the class of '98. 

The paternal grandfather of the doctor, Thomas 
Beesley, born in December, 177 1, came from 
England to America in 1778, settling at Beesley 's 
Point, on the New Jersey coast. He owned 
large tracts of land there, and the place was 
named in his honor. A brother of his, John 
Beesley, was killed in the Revolutiona^ war. 
His sou Maurice, father of our subject, was born 
at Beesley's Point, May 16, 1804, and died in 
Dennisville, January 13, 1882. He studied med- 
icine at Salem, N. J., graduated from the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania in 1828, ranking high in his 
class, and continued in the practice of the healing 
art fifty-four years. In 1840 and again in 1841 
he served as a member of the New Jersey state 
legislature and from 1842 until 1844 was one of 
the governor's counsel. During this time he 
strongly advocated the establishment of a state 
lunatic asylum, and it was largely through his 
efforts that the institution was at last erected. 
He was one of the committee appointed to select 
the site. In 1845 he was elected a charter mem- 
ber of the New Jersey State Historical Society, 
and though his time was very fully occupied 
with divers affairs, he still found time to collect 
much valuable information relative to the history 
of the state and in regard to the geology of the 
southern portion of it. Among his effects was 
a rare old scrap-book, which he bequeathed to 



our subject, and in which there are some doc- 
uments of great value, one being a letter writ- 
ten by William Penn in 1682. He was an 
author of some repute and wrote the early his- 
tory of Cape May County. Dr. Maurice Beesley 
married Susan, daughter of Amos C. Moore, of 
Dennisville, and to them were born four children. 
She died in June, 1894. 



••>3*> 



s§*<t e— 



|ILSON THOMAS, senior member of the 
firm of W. & W. E. Thomas, has been en- 
gaged in the milling business at Milford for 
many years, and has become well known as a re- 
liable and enterprising business man. For some 
time he also carried on a trade in lumber, coal 
and plaster, but his principal occupation has been 
that of milling. When a youth of seventeen he 
began to work in his father's mill, where he 
learned the trade, and since then he has been en- 
gaged in business on the same spot. On the re- 
tirement of his father in 1852, he and his brother 
Edward succeeded to the business under the firm 
name of W. & E. Thomas, and their connection 
continued until January, 1893, when he bought 
out his brother's interest and took into partner- 
ship his son Wilson Egbert Thomas. 

Born in 1829 in Solebury Township, Bucks 
County, Pa. , the subject of this sketch is a son of 
Mordecai and Grace (Wilson) Thomas. His 
father, whose birth occurred in Bucks Count}- in 
1797, remained in his native place until 1S43, 
when he removed to Milford, N. J., and estab- 
lished a flour mill. In 1852 he was succeeded 
in the business by his sons, and in 1854 he died at 
the age of fifty-seven. His life occupation had 
been that of miller and he was thoroughly in- 
formed regarding the trade. Politically he sup- 
ported the Whig ticket. His wife, who was a 
daughter of Jesse and Amy Wilson, of Philadel- 
phia County, Pa., died in 1887, at the age of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



261 



eighty-five. She was a member of the Society of 
Friends. Three children were born of their 
union: Wilson; Edward, who was in partner- 
ship with his brother for forty-one years, 
and died in 1896, at the age of sixty-five years; 
and Frances, wife of Samuel Thomas, of Phillips- 
burg, Warren County. 

Our subject's grandfather, Jonathan Thomas, 
was born in 1768 and spent the most of his life in 
Philadelphia County; he died in Bristol, Bucks 
County, in 1842, at the age of seventy -four. 
During early life he followed the miller's trade, 
but afterward retired to a small farm. His'father, 
Mordecai Thomas, who was born in 1743 or 1744, 
was a son of Daniel Thomas, born in 171 1 and 
died in 1760. The latter was a son of Daniel 
Thomas, Sr. , who came to America from Wales 
in 1700 and in 1705 married Miss Catherine 
Morris. 

Until about twelve years of age our subject re- 
sided in Newhope, Pa., from which place he ac- 
companied his parents to Bristol, also in Bucks 
County, and thence came toMilford, N. J., April 
1, 1843. He attended the public schools of the 
various places where he lived and acquired a fair 
education there and in a select school in Philadel- 
phia County, where he was a pupil for a few 
years. At the age of seventeen years he began 
to learn the miller's trade, which he has since 
followed. As a citizen he is public-spirited and 
gives his allegiance to measures calculated to 
benefit the town and count}'. 

In 1855 he was elected a director in the Mil- 
ford Delaware Bridge Company at Milford. The 
year following he was elected treasurer and filled 
the office for forty-two years, and is treasurer at 
the present time. Subsequently he filled both 
offices and is still one of the directors. He is al- 
so president of the Milford Union Cemetery Com- 
pany, having held the office since 1875, and is 
the only officer living who was associated with its 
incorporation in 1858. He votes the Republican 
ticket, but other than that has not taken any 
part in politics, preferring to give his attention to 
his business. 

In i860 Mr. Thomas married Miss Lizzie S. Eg- 



bert, daughter of Judge William and Elizabeth 
(Van Sickel) Egbert. They have only one child, 
Wilson Egbert, who is in partnership with his 
father. The family are identified with the Pres- 
byterian Church, in which Mr. Thomas has been 
an elder, trustee and treasurer for some years. 



G| UGUSTUS GREEN is the owner of a farm 
LI in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County, 
/ I and also owns a blacksmith shop in Bap- 
tistown, where he has made his home since early 
manhood. Though himself a native of Delaware 
(born there in 1852) he is a member of an old 
Hunterdon County family. His father, Emanuel 
Green, was born in Clinton, this county, but 
spent the greater portion of his life in Delaware, 
where he followed the blacksmith's trade at 
Grove for thirty-five years or until his death. 
In addition, he also devoted some attention to 
farming. Politically he was a Republican and 
took an active interest in matters pertaining to 
local and national progress. For many years he 
served the Methodist Episcopal Church as a 
steward and trustee, in which capacities he re- 
mained until his death, at sixty-five years. 

The grandfather of our subject, John Green, 
was born in Hunterdon County and for some 
time was engaged as a blacksmith in Clinton, 
later following the same occupation for many 
years at Grove, Del. The political principles 
that he espoused were similar to those adopted by 
the Republican party on its organization. By 
his consistent Christian life he upheld the doc- 
trines that he professed, those of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, in which he was a trustee and 
steward. He died when about seventy-two years 
of age, and among those who attended his funeral 
were forty-two blacksmiths, all of whom were 
relatives. 

To the marriage of Emanuel Green and Rachel 
Reading, daughter of Asher Reading, there were 



262 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



born five children, of whom three are living: 
Carrie, wife of William Lawshe; Augustus; and 
William, who resides in Flemiugton, N. J. The 
mother is still living and resides on the old home- 
stead at Grove. Until t wenty -two years of age the 
subject of this sketch made his home in Delaware, 
where he learned the blacksmith's trade under 
the supervision of his father. From Delaware he 
came to New Jersey and settled at Baptistown, 
purchasing the place owned by Nathan Dalrymple, 
which he has since operated. He is also the pos- 
sessor of an eighty-six acre farm in Kingwood 
Township. Not caring for official position, he 
discharges his duties as a private citizen b}' cast- 
ing his vote, in local elections, for those whom he 
believes to be best qualified to represent the peo- 
ple. In national politics he supports Republican 
principles. He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church of Sergeantsville, while his 
family attend the Baptist Church. In fraternal 
relations he is an Odd Fellow and belongs to the 
lodge at Frenchtown. 

In 1874 the subject of this sketch married Miss 
Henrietta Roberson, daughter of Daniel B. Rober- 
sou. Three children bless their union, as follows: 
Howard, who is a teacher in the public school of 
Baptistown; Verner and Harry, who are at home. 



REV. AEVIN A. KING. During the five 
years' pastorate of this most worthy laborer 
in the Master's vineyard in the pretty town 
of Glen Gardner, he has been blessed wonder- 
fully, and under his ministry the number of 
members in the church has been almost doubled. 
The First Lutheran Church, over which he pre- 
sides, is in a thriving condition, giving promise 
of a bright future of usefulness in this commun- 
ity. The building has been repaired and painted, 
as has also the parsonage, and both are neat and 
attractive in appearance. 

The birth of Rev. A. A. King took place in 



Easton, Pa., February 16, 1868, and thus he is 
in the prime of manhood, usefulness and activity. 
His parents were Samuel and Mary A. (Roth) 
King, both natives of Easton. The father was 
a contractor by occupation and was quite success- 
ful in his business ventures. His family com- 
prised three sons and three daughters, viz. : 
Elamanda, wife of John Narr, of Hanover, Pa.; 
Milton H., whose home is on College Hill, while 
his place of business is in Easton; John F., who 
is in partnership with his brother Milton; Savilla, 
wife of Samuel Shortz, a farmer of Northampton 
Count}', Pa.; Alvin A.; and Cora E., wife of 
Charles Frey, an employe of the government 
steel works of Bethlehem, Pa. 

In his youth A. A. King remained at home 
with his parents, receiving his initial training in 
knowledge in the local schools. When he was 
twelve he entered the preparatory department of 
Nazareth Hall, in the town of that name in 
Pennsylvania, and there pursued his studies five 
years. Then he went to Atchison, Kas., where 
he obtained a position as a clerk in a grocery. 
At the end of a year or so he became a traveling 
salesman, his territory being the states of Kansas, 
Colorado and Nebraska. He was still in the 
employ of the old firm and continued with them 
altogether three years. He had now barely ar- 
rived at his majority, and, returning home, he 
entered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, 
where he pursued a three years' course, after 
which he entered the theological seminary of the 
same place, graduating in the class of 1893. He 
was licensed to preach the year before, and he was 
ordained in Allentown, Pa. January 1, 1894, he 
was called to his present pastorate, and has been 
generally liked here in all church circles, as he is 
liberal and broad-minded in his views, devoted to 
the uplifting of his brother-men and fervent in 
Christian spirit. Dike a true patriot and public- 
spirited citizen, he takes great interest in local 
affairs, and in political matters uses his franchise 
in favor of the Republican party. 

October 9, 1894, Mr. King married Alice A. 
Reimer, daughter of John D. Reimer, of Stone 
Church, Pa. She was born in that place and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



263 



there grew to womanhood. She is a lad}' of good 
education and social attainments and is a true 
helpmate to her husband, being of great assist- 
ance to him in his noble work. 



^FORGE FRITTS, a well and favorably 
_ known farmer of Union Township, Hunter- 
^ don County, has been carrying on a busi- 
ness in coal and farm implements in Pattenburg 
for the past two years in addition to the cultiva- 
tion of his valuable homestead. He is a much- 
respected citizen, and shows his patriotism by the 
interest which he takes in the support of all in- 
dustrial enterprises, improvements, etc., inaugu- 
rated for the benefit of the public. He uses his 
ballot in furtherance of what he earnestly believes 
to be for the lasting good of the commonwealth. 
He is a Republican, and has never been a politi- 
cian in the ordinary sense of the term, as he pre- 
fers to attend to his own affairs and has no aspir- 
ations to public office. 

Born January 13, 1846, in Lebanon Township, 
our subject is a son of Jacob D. and Catherine 
(Beavers) Fritts. The father was a farmer in 
this county during his entire active life. He re- 
moved from Lebanon Township to Fairmount, 
and from that place to Clinton, where he passed 
his declining days, his death occurring in 1890. 
His family comprised three sons and a daughter. 
Adeline, now deceased, was the wife of Noah S. 
Tiger; Isaiah and Ralph B. are prosperous and 
enterprising agriculturists of Clinton Township. 
When he was but a child, George Fritts re- 
moved with the family to the vicinity of Clin- 
ton, and received his education in the village 
schools. He was married in December, 1867, 
the lady of his choice being Mary E., daughter 
of Asher and Martha (Hull) Smith. She was a 
native of Bethlehem Township, born near West 
Portal, and, having enjoyed excellent educational 
opportunities, is a woman of pleasing attainments. 



Mr. and Mrs. Fritts have no children of their own, 
but have an adopted daughter, Carrie E., to 
whom they are giving the best advantages in 
their power. 

In the spring succeeding his marriage Mr. 
Fritts settled in Bethlehem Township, and devoted 
himself assiduously to farming. Later he re- 
moved to Clinton Township, and still later came 
to his present home. He holds membership with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church of Norton, but 
attends the church of this same denomination in 
Pattenburg. During his residence in the first- 
mentioned town he held the office of steward in 
the congregation. He is an interested worker in 
the cause of Christianity, and is liberal in his 
contributions to the church and worthy benevo- 
lences. He was recently honored by being ap- 
pointed visitor to the State Board of Agriculture, 
for the Fourth Congressional district, by Gov- 
ernor Griggs. 



3teN* 



(JOHN D. LARISON. Hunterdon County is 
I one of the most fertile and productive coun- 
G) ties in the state and its farmers are enterpris- 
ing, self-reliant and progressive. Among these 
the gentleman of whom we write occupies an hon- 
ored and respected place, as he is well and favor- 
ably known throughout this section and is ac- 
counted a man of public spirit, ever ready to 
assist in all matters pertaining to the welfare of 
the people. The cause of education finds in him 
a sincere friend and champion, and for two years 
he was a member of the board of education in 
Delaware Township, in which district his farm is 
situated. 

Andrew Larisou, grandfather of the above, was 
a native of West Am well Township, Hunterdon 
County. Our subject's father, Benjamin Larison, 
was born in Kingwood Township, this county, 
and like the majority of his ancestors was a farmer 
by occupation. For his companion and helpmate 
on the journey of life he chose Hauna A. Holcomb, 



264 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a most estimable lady, beloved by all who knew 
her. Their children were nine in number, John 
D., born December 12, 1846, being the seventh 
of the family. 

To the elementary education gained in the com- 
mon schools of this neighborhood our subject has 
added wide general information through his pri- 
vate study and reading and by the sterner knowl- 
edge acquired in the battle of life. From his boy- 
hood he delighted in the free, open air existence 
of the agriculturist and determined to follow in 
the footsteps of his father in the choice of an oc- 
cupation. When he was nineteen years old he 
took charge of this farm, carrying it on thence- 
forth without any division of the responsibility. 
That he has succeeded well is evident by the fine 
condition of everything about the premises, as he 
takes just pride in the appearance of his buildings, 
fences, etc. The farm consists of one hundred 
acres of arable land one and a-half miles north of 
Stockton, on the old Flemiugton road. In former 
years the owner devoted much time to the busi- 
ness of peach-growing and derived a good income 
from that source alone. 

December 11, 1872, Mr. Larison married Delia 
Bodine and four children came to bless their union. 
The eldest son, Andrew B., is employed in the 
mills at Lambertville; William is at home and 
aids in the care of the farm, and the two younger 
children, Annie and Carman, are also at home. 
In his political preference Mr. Larison is a Repub- 
lican. Religiously he is a Baptist and holds mem- 
bership with the church of that denomination in 
the village of Sandy Ridge. 



30HN B. WELDER, proprietor of the Union 
Hotel, at Clinton, Hunterdon County, was 
born in Warren County, N. J., September 6, 
1836, and is a son of Peter and Frances (Miller) 
Weller, both natives of that county. Peter Wel- 
ler, the father of our subject, was for many years 



prominently identified with the growth and de- 
velopment of his section of the state. He was en- 
gaged in agricultural pursuits and held in high 
esteem by all who knew him. The death of his 
wife occurred during his early life and his own 
followed in 1845, while yet in the prime of life. 

John B., our subject, was then left an orphan 
at the age of nine. Thrown upon his own re- 
sources, his early life was such that habits of fru- 
gality and self-dependence were formed which in 
after years were to lead him to prominence and 
a competency. His education was acquired in 
the public schools of his native place, Uniontown 
and Stewartsville, N. J., and later in Easton, Pa. 
His entry into the commercial world occurred in 
1855, when he procured employment in a general 
store at New Hampton in the capacity of clerk, 
and later in a similar position in Green's Mills, 
N. J. Some three years were spent in these two 
situations, when, in view of the ability he had 
shown, he was taken into partnership by his 
brother, Andrew J. Weller, of Easton, Pa., the 
firm style being Weller & Brother. 

This association was continued until 1857, when 
Mr. Weller purchased the Union Hotel at Clinton, 
N. J., entering what was to be his life-long enter- 
prise. Since assuming the control of the above 
property he has become one of the most popular 
and widely known hotel men of his state, and his 
house is noted for its homelike comforts and com- 
mendable service, as well as the kind and affable 
demeanor of its proprietor and his wife. Aside 
from his above interest he has been prominently 
identified with the growth and development of the 
village and has been ever ready to assist in any 
enterprise tending to advance its interests. His 
charities are many and varied, though always 
given in an unostentatious manner. Politically 
he is a Democrat, and although not a politician 
in the ordinary acceptation of the term he has 
been called upon to fill various positions of trust 
and honor and in which he has served with marked 
ability. He is a member of Stewart Lodge No. 
34, F. & A. M., and De Molay Commandery. 

In 1875 Mr. Weller married Anna M., daugh- 
ter of Peter Kent, a prominent and well-known 




EDWARD HUMPHREY MOORK, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



267 



resident of Northampton Count}-, Pa. She is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church, is highly 
esteemed throughout the community and is act- 
ively engaged in various religious and charitable 
works. Her personality is striking and her many 
acts of kindness have endeared her to a host of 
friends and acquaintances. 



~ DWARD H. MOORE, M. D., has been lo- 
V) cated in White House Station, Hunterdon 
__ Count}', for three years only, but has 
already gained an enviable reputation, not only 
among the inhabitants of this region, but among 
his professional brethren as well. He joined the 
Hunterdon County Medical Society at Fleming- 
ton in 1897, and was honored by being elected 
its third vice-president, in which capacity he 
served until April, 1898, when he was elected 
second vice-president. 

Born in Somerset County, N. J. , Dr. Moore is in 
the prime of early manhood, as the records show 
that his birthday was November 29, 1867. He 
is one of ten children of George and Eliza M. 
(Hiler) Moore, both of whom were natives of this 
state. Two of their family are deceased, and 
those who survive are named in the order of 
birth as follows: Philip H., John, George, Will- 
iam, Edward H., Charles, Mary and Elizabeth 
D. George Moore, Sr., was a farmer and miller, 
and won the love and regard of all who knew 
him. He died November 27, 1894, at the age of 
sixty-nine years. His father-in-law, Mr. Hiler, 
was a man of considerable prominence and held 
numerous offices of trust and responsibility, 
among them those of assemblyman, freeholder 
and overseer of the poor. 

E. H. Moore was born and brought up on a 
farm, and studied in the neighborhood schools, 
after which he attended private schools in Chester 
and Dover, N. J. Having decided to enter the 
medical profession, he took his preliminary studies 



under the instruction of Dr. Frederick Johnson, 
of Stanton, and in the course of time graduated 
from the Baltimore College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons, his degree of Doctor of Medicine being 
dated 1892. Later he took a post-graduate 
course in the medical department of the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, receiving 
a diploma therefrom in 1893. 

In no department of science or learning is 
greater progress being made than in the art of 
healing and he who would keep in accord with the 
spirit of the times must be a student and thor- 
oughly awake and practical in theory and appli- 
cation. The doctor is in every respect equal to 
these demands and is of earnest, painstaking dis- 
position, making the best of each opportunity 
that presents itself whereby he may advance in 
knowledge. At the same time he holds to those 
old, true and tried methods that have been 
proven of great value on a thousand occasions. 



LIVER I. BLACKWELL. Since 1879 this 
sterling citizen of Ringoes, Hunterdon 
County, has been engaged in the practice of 
law here, and has been actively identified with 
all enterprises of a character affecting the general 
public hereabouts. From 1890 to 1893 he was 
counsel for the board of freeholders, an elective 
office, and in 1879 he was elected township clerk 
of East Amwell Township, for a five years' term. 
In his political affiliations he is a Democrat. 
Fraternally he is a member of Powhatan Lodge 
No. 72, I. O. O. F., of Ringoes. 

The birth of O. I. Blackwell took place on the 
old family homestead near Larison Corners, Rar- 
itau Township, Hunterdon County, October 3, 
1857. This fine old estate, comprising two hun- 
dred acres, is now the property of our subject, 
and was settled upon by his grandfather, Andrew 
Blackwell, about 1830. He was a thrifty agricult- 
urist and good business man, and was a native 



268 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of Mercer Count}', N. J. His son and namesake, 
Andrew, married Miss Mary Hunt, daughter of 
Dr. Cicero Hunt, a prominent physician of that 
day in this vicinity, and their two children were 
Oliver I., of this sketch, and Ella, who married 
Dr. P. C. Young, and died in 1888. 

In his boyhood and youth our subject attended 
the neighboring schools and graduated from Rin- 
goes Seminary in 1875. Soon afterwards he en- 
tered the law office of Senator Richard S. Kuhl, 
of Flemington, and, after devoting himself assid- 
uously to the study of legal lore, he was admit- 
ted to the county bar in November, 1879. The 
same year he was appointed master in chancery. 
From the very first his success in his chosen avo- 
cation seemed assured, and he soon built up a re- 
munerative practice. In the past he did consid- 
erable surveying and was interested in various 
enterprises. Religiously he is a Presbyterian, 
and is a member of Kirkpatrick Memorial Church 
of Riugoes, being a deacon in the congregation at 
this time. 

The marriage of Mr. Blackwell and Miss 
Maggie W. Miller, of Mahopac Falls, Putnam 
County, N. Y., was solemnized June 13, 1888. 
She was born July 9, 1857, and is a daughter of 
Rev. Alexander Miller, who at one time was the 
loved pastor of the Ringoes Presbyterian Church. 
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell has been 
blessed with two children, Ella, born August 17, 
1891, and Mary H., born July 2, 1893. 



— >-- 



•»>K®||1|®<*<>- 



(JOHN SPECHT, a retired businessman of 
I New Germantown, Hunterdon County, is a 
G/ striking example of what a man can accom- 
plish when he is strong and resolute in the pur- 
suance of a good purpose in life. He is a native 
of Germany, and landed in this country when a 
youth of less than twenty, without home, friends 
or capital to help him in the new world. Every- 
thing seemed against him, the mere fact of his 



being an entire stranger to the English language 
being not the least of his difficulties. But he 
had a brave heart, and was determined to win 
success by earnest effort and hard work. The re- 
sult is the only comment necessary, perhaps, to 
those who know him and his circumstances, and 
it may well inspire and encourage many another 
youth who is now setting out to fight the battles 
of life. He found, as they will, that the only 
secret of success is honest, industrious work, per- 
severance and the exercise of common sense. 

Born December 8, 1830, John Specht is a son 
of John and Elizabeth (Kinkel) Specht, of Hesse- 
Darmstadt, Germany. His boyhood was passed 
quietly and uneventfully in the Fatherland, and 
he became more and more earnest in his desire 
to come to America. Leaving home with his 
elder brother, Henry, he started for the hospit- 
able shores of the United States in 1849, coming 
direct to German Valley. Here he entered the 
employ of Isaac Sharp, who was engaged in run- 
ning a tannery and leather business. The young 
man had worked at this trade in his own coun- 
try, and was consequently familiar with the de- 
tails of the business. After remaining two years 
with his first employer he went to the town now 
known as Fairmount, where for a year he 
worked for John and Aaron Vescellius, tanners. 

Then Mr. Specht came to New Germantown, 
and started into business for himself in an old 
abandoned tauyard. He was repeatedly urged 
by many of his friends not to embark in this 
venture, as several other parties had done so 
here and failed, but he quietly persisted, believ- 
ing that he could and would make it a success. 
Commencing in a small wa}-, he enlarged the 
capacity of the plant from time to time, event- 
ually building up a large and remunerative trade. 
It is said there were at that time eighteen tan- 
neries in this county; there is now not a single 
one, but, in spite of the competition which our 
subject then had to contend with, he prospered. 
He not only supplied the local trade, but shipped 
considerable stock to the city markets. He con- 
tinued to manage the tannery until 1S92, when 
he sold out and retired from business. Since 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



269 



then lie has handled hides and leather to some 
extent, as he is naturally active and does not de- 
sire to live in idleness, though he is justly en- 
titled to a rest from toil after the long years he 
has been so actively occupied. He is a Democrat 
in politics, and since he has left his business cares 
he has served the people of his community for 
four years as collector of taxes. He was one of 
the original stockholders of the First National 
Bank of Clinton. For thirty-five years, or until 
quite recently, he held one office or another in the 
Lutheran Church, and is considered one of the 
most substantial pillars in the congregation. 

April 3, 1868, John Specht married Anna E., 
daughter of Edward and Keturah (Prall) Up- 
dyke. She was born in the town of Pattenburg, 
Hunterdon County, and by her marriage has be- 
come the mother of two daughters, Louisa and 
Elizabeth. The younger of the two is a grad- 
uate of the state normal school in Trenton, N. 
J., and is now a successful teacher in the local 
schools. Both daughters are living: at home. 



HON. JOHN KUGLER, ex-judge of the 
Hunterdon County court, is one of the repre- 
sentative and loyal citizens of this section of 
New Jersey. The Kugler family have been iden- 
tified with the development and increasing pros- 
perit}' of this county for several generations, and 
have always been esteemed for their sterling 
characteristics. They come from sturdy, indus- 
trious and thrifty German stock, and are noted for 
fidelity to duty and patriotism. 

The father of the judge, James Kugler, was a 
native of Kingwood, Hunterdon County, born in 
1797, and, with the exception of three years 
which he spent in the adjoining state of Pennsyl- 
vania, resided in the vicinity of his birthplace all 
his days. In his early manhood he and his 
father were interested in boating on the Delaware 
River, but later he settled down to agricultural 



pursuits. He was very successful as a business 
man and farmer and became the owner of large 
tracts of finel3- improved land. He was active in 
the furtherance of plans having as their end the 
advancement of the people's interests, and in his 
political leaning he was a Democrat. He depart- 
ed this life at the age of seventy-three years. His 
father, John Kugler, was also a native of this 
county, and accumulated an extensive fortune. 
His calling in life was that of a tiller of the soil, 
and in the exercise of his duties he was always 
prompt and faithful. He died at the good old 
age of seventy-one. His father, John Kugler, 
was a son of Germany and passed the first four- 
teen years of his career in that beautiful country. 
Then, with the other members of his family, he 
came to America, and proceeded to fight the 
serious obstacles that were in the pathway leading 
to success. He mastered the English language, 
worked at farming, and finally became the owner of 
a homestead. His first property, situated near the 
village of Tumble, is now in the possession of 
George W. Kugler. 

The mother of our subject was Miss Eliza Rit- 
tenhouse in her girlhood, she having been a 
daughter of Jonathan and Julia (Bray) Ritten- 
house. She became the mother of nine children, 
only five of whom are now living, viz.: John; 
Oliver; Harriet; George W., a lumber dealer of 
Gloucester County, N. J., having large interests 
in timbered land in North Carolina; and Willson, 
a farmer of this locality. The mother was a de- 
voted member of the Baptist Church, and died 
strong in the Christian faith, as she had ever 
lived, her summons to her reward coming when 
she was nearly eighty years old. 

Judge Kugler was born near the old Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Kingwood in 1823. He re- 
mained at home on the farm until he was nine- 
teen, when he went to live with his maternal 
grandfather, Mr. Rittenhouse. For several years 
he carried on the homestead belonging to his ven- 
erable relative, and after his death the young 
man removed to a farm near Flemington, the 
county-seat of this county. Eight years he was 
situated in Alexandria Township, and at the ex- 



270 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



piration of that period he purchased (in 1857) his 
present home and farm comprising one hundred 
and seventy-five acres. Since then he has de- 
voted his time and attention to the raising of a 
general line of crops, and has been prospered. 

Mr. Kugler is a Democrat and for a number of 
years served as a committeeman of Alexandria 
Township, and acted in a similar capacity in 
Kingwood for some time, besides being a free- 
holder of the last-mentioned place three years, 
elected without opposition. In 1870-71 he was a 
member of the general assembly of the state, and 
was on the committee on asylums and reform 
schools. In 1893 he was appointed by Governor 
Werts and confirmed by the senate as judge of 
the county courts, his term to run for three years. 
He has since retired to private life. 

In 1849 Mr. Kugler married Mary Schamp, 
who died when but thirty-eight years, leaving six 
children. William died at seven and Ella at two 
years. Harriet is the wife of Albert Fritts. James 
is the oldest surviving son. Mary is the wife of 
George Evans. Huldah is the widow of James 
Alpaugh. The second wife of our subject is 
Mary, daughter of Mahlon M. and Catherine 
(Ritteiihouse) Thatcher. The children of this 
marriage are as follows: Ella, wife of Charles B. 
Rittenhouse; Annie, at home; William and John, 
twins, the last-named dying in infancy; and 
Martha E., a teacher at Morristown, N. J. The 
family attend the Baptist Church. 



"RANK S. GRIM, M. D. In no profession 
>) is a clearer mind or better judgment re- 
quired than in that of the medical practi- 
tioner's. Constant study and application are 
necessar5' in order that one may be in touch with 
the spirit of progress, and, perhaps, in few other 
lines of science are more startling discoveries 
made than in the causes of disease and methods 
of treatment. The young physician of the period 



has the immense advantage of having no old 
worn-out ideas rooted in his mental makeup, as, 
unfortunately, too many of the older members of 
the profession undoubtedly have. Though the 
gentleman of whom we write has been engaged 
in practice in Baptistown scarcely three years, he 
has already become well known and his clientage 
is steadily increasing. 

His father, Dr. George W. Grim, was a lead- 
ing physician of Revere, Bucks County, Pa., for 
many years, standing equally high with the other 
members of his profession and with the public at 
large. Politically he was a Democrat, and at one 
time was a candidate for the office of state sena- 
tor. He served as chairman of the count}' Demo- 
cratic committee as school director, and in various 
local positions of trust. He assisted in organiz- 
ing the lodge of the Knights of the Golden Eagle 
and that of the Red Men, and was one of the most 
prominent members of the same. He died at the 
age of sixty 3'ears, having been a faithful member 
of the German Reformed Church for years, and 
having led a life that was above reproach. His 
wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Koons, of 
Montgomery County, Pa. Of their eleven children 
the following are yet living: Harvey, a physi- 
cian of Revere; Dr. George M., of Ottsville, Pa.; 
Florence, wife of O. H. Bigley, of Doylestown, 
Pa.; Webster G., an attorney of Doylestown; F. 
S.; Harry E., an attorney at Perkasie, Pa.; Cora, 
wife of William Rufe, a merchant of Riegelsville, 
Pa. ; Nora, a twin sister of Cora, a teacher in the 
Revere grammar school; and James S., a member 
of the junior class of Lafayette College. The 
mother of this fine family may justly be proud of 
her children, who are all active and noble citizens 
of the several communities in which they dwell. 
She is still living, being sixty-six years of age, 
her home in Revere. She is identified with the 
German Reformed Church as a member. 

Dr. Frank S. Grim was born in the town of 
Revere, Pa., March 10, 1868, and when of a suit- 
able age was sent to the public school of his na- 
tive place. Later graduating from the state nor- 
mal at Kutztown, he engaged in teaching for four 
years. He then enrolled himself as a student at 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



271 



Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, Pa., 
graduating therefrom in 1895 with the degree of 
Doctor of Medicine. He passed the examinations 
required by the New Jersey board of medical ex- 
aminers, and purchased the practice of Dr. E. D. 
Leidy, of Baptistown. In politics he adheres to 
the training of his father, and deposits his ballot 
in fa voi of the Democracy. In 1895 he married 
Mary E. , daughter of Caspar and Catherine Fab- 
ian, of Revere. The young couple are members 
of the German Reformed Church. Fraternally 
the doctor is a member of the Knights of the 
Golden Eagle of Revere, the Odd Fellows of 
Frenchtown, and the Royal Arcanum of Eambert- 
ville. Mrs. Grim is a graduate of the state nor- 
mal at Kutztown, Pa., and taught school in 
Bucks County, Pa., for ten years. 



^EORGE C. PEDRICK, one of the most en- 
_ terprising citizens of Flemington, Hunterdon 
^Ji County, has been in business here ever since 
he arrived at man's estate. Commencing his com- 
mercial career entirely without capital he deserves 
great credit for the success that he has wrought 
out for himself. He possesses those qualities that 
are essential to prosperity to a young man with- 
out funds or influential friends, industry, perse- 
verance and good judgment. By the exercise of 
these characteristics he has won a place in the 
regard of those who have been associated with him 
in the business world, and he stands no less high 
in the best society of this town. 

The parents of the above-named gentleman are 
H. E. and Mary (Schmidt) Pedrick, the former 
a native of Ethia, Tompkins County, N. Y., and 
the latter of Germany. H. E. Pedrick was born 
and reared in the town of Mount Holty, and is 
now engaged in the manufacture of brick in 
Flemington. George C, of this sketch, was born 
January 4, 1860, on a farm in the vicinity of this 
place, and received his education in the district 



schools. When he was still a mere boy he went 
into the employ of William H. Fulper, the well- 
known merchant, and remained with him for 
thirteen years, during which time he became 
thoroughly proficient in every detail of work per- 
taining to the business. He won the good-will 
of his employer by his honesty, punctuality and 
regard for his superior's interests, and when at 
last the young man told him of his ambition to 
enter business on his own account Mr. Fulper 
generously came to his assistance, helping him to 
get a start. 

Until 1S92 Mr. Pedrick was a member of the 
firm of Nevis & Pedrick, but for the past five or 
six years has been carrying on a clothing store 
alone. He receives a fair share of the patronage 
of our citizens and strives to meet their wishes 
with honest goods at reasonable prices. In the 
fraternities he is identified with the Masonic 
order, is past grand of the Odd Fellows' society, 
and is a member of the Royal Arcanum. In the 
Methodist Episcopal Church of this place he is 
looked upon as one of the most reliable members, 
one that can be depended upon for active work, 
and at present he is a steward in the congregation. 

May 3, 1883, Mr. Pedrick married Jennie Hunt, 
of Eambertville, daughter of E. L- Hunt, a miller 
of that town. They have five children, named in 
order of birth: Russell, Reba, Beatrice, William 
and Gilbert. 



-:— j ♦•>i>vQ;j->C-» «— : 



(|ACOB DIETS, Jr., a freeholder of East Am- 
I well Township, Hunterdon County, was 
(2/ elected to that position on the Democratic 
ticket in 1895 for a term of three years. From 
1874 to 1877 he was a township committeeman; 
from 1884 to 1 89 1 was tax collector, and for the 
long period. of twelve years was a school trustee. 
He has always taken commendable interest in the 
welfare of the people of this community, and has 
done all within his power to promote their good. 



272 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The Dilts family have long been respected, in- 
dustrious and thrifty agriculturists of Hunterdon 
County. The great-grandfather of the gentle- 
man of whom we write was Henry Dilts, who 
was one of the early settlers of Delaware Town- 
ship. He was naturalized by an act of legislature 
in 1744. His son, Jacob, the next in the line of 
descent, married Sarah Heath, and bought the 
old homestead which is now owned and carried 
on by our subject. The latter's parents were 
Hiram and Beulah (Chamberlin) Dilts, natives 
of Delaware and East Amwell Township. Their 
family comprised six children, of whom the 
eldest, Dewis, is deceased; Clarinda is the widow 
of Jacob F. Larison, of Raritan Township; Jacob, 
the first of the name in this family, died in in- 
fancy; Maria L,. is the wife of John B. Fisher, of 
Hopewell Township; Emeline is the wife of Ed- 
ward B. Holcombe, of Mt. Airy, N. J. ; and Jacob, 
of this sketch, is the youngest. The father was a 
life-long farmer and was fairly successful in his 
business undertakings. He lived to the good old 
age of seventy-five years, dying in April, 1879, 
and was placed to rest in the quiet cemetery at 
Darison Corners. For many years he was a 
faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, and 
all who knew him loved and esteemed him. His 
widow is still living, and though she has reached 
the unusual age of ninety-four years, enjoys very 
good health. She is now making her home with 
her daughter, Mrs. Holcombe. 

Jacob Dilts was born on the farm where he 
may still be found, December 8, 1848, and from 
his first recollections he has been closely asso- 
ciated with the annals of this immediate locality. 
His education was gained in the district schools 
of the neighborhood, and, as soon as he was old 
enough, he began to aid in the work of the farm. 
Then, with his father, he carried on the home 
place in harmonious spirit as long as his senior 
lived, and upon his death fell heir to the farm. 
There are one hundred and eleven acres in the 
same, and it is suitable for general farming and 
dairying. A member of the Odd Fellows' society, 
he is identified with Powhatan Dodge No. 72, of 
Riugoes, and has served as district deputy in the 



same, and is also a member of the Flemington 
Encampment. In the Presbyterian Church of 
which he is a member he has been one of the 
board of trustees, and has held other official posi- 
tions. 

November 1, 1S67, Mr. Dilts married Martha, 
daughter of John and Sarah J. (Dean) Housel. 
Four bright, enterprising sons are the children of 
their union, viz.: Orville H., a merchant of Rin- 
goes; Hiram, who is a telegraph operator and 
station agent at Taylorsville, Pa. ; Dewis C. and 
Frederick A., who are still at home and assist 
their father in the work of the farm. 



3UDSON B. RITTENHOUSE. One of the 
neat and well-improved farms of Hunterdon 
County lies in Kingwood Township and is the 
property of Mr. Rittenhouse, under whose super- 
vision it is kept in a high state of cultivation and 
improved with the embellishments of modern 
farms. It comprises seventy acres, planted to 
grain or devoted to the pasturage of stock, for 
dairying is carried on here with success. It is 
the old homestead of the family and one of the 
well-known places in the township. 

The father of our subject was Jeremiah Ritten- 
house, a native of Kingwood Township and by 
occupation a farmer. He was an energetic and 
persevering man and reached a commendable de- 
gree of success in the cultivation of his land. 
When a young man he affiliated with the Demo- 
crats, but in later years he became a Prohibition- 
ist and a stanch opponent of the saloon. For a 
number of years he served as a deacon in the 
Baptist Church. His death occurred when he was 
fifty-eight years of age. His father, Daniel Rit- 
tenhouse, was a native of Kingwood Township, 
where he remained until his death, at sixty-nine 
years. 

Our subject's mother, who makes her home 
with him, was Elizabeth Burkett, a daughter of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



273 



Charles Burkett. In her family there were four 
children: Judson B., Andrew, Jennie and Mary 
(deceased) . Judson B. was born in Alexandria 
Township in 1865 and grew to manhood upon the 
home farm, the management of which he after- 
ward assumed. He is well informed concerning 
public questions and in politics gives his support 
to the Republican party. He has passed all of 
the chairs in Magnolia Lodge of Odd Fellows and 
is interested in the work of the fraternity. Reared 
in the Baptist faith, he has identified himself with 
that denomination and for some years has offi- 
ciated as one of the deacons of his church. 



(STANFORD VANDERBELT is a prosperous 
?\ farmer of Hunterdon County, who, without 
\yj assistance from others, but solely by the 
exercise of good judgment, sound common sense 
and perseverance, has arrived at a position of in- 
dependence and influence. He is the owner of a 
farm situated in Kingwood Township and con- 
sisting of seventy-seven acres, devoted to the rais- 
ing of general farm products. Here he has re- 
sided since 1891, meanwhile maintaining the land 
under a high state of cultivation and introducing 
needed improvements. 

The father of our subject, Peter Vanderbelt, 
was born in Holland Township, Hunterdon 
County, but in early life moved to Kingwood 
Township, where he became a large and success- 
ful farmer and also followed the trade of a miller 
until failing health forced him to retire. In poli- 
tics he adhered to Republican principles. He 
was interested in local matters, and for three 
years held the office of commissioner for this town- 
ship. The Christian Church had in him one of 
its faithful members and its doctrines he always 
supported earnestly. When seventy-four years of 
age his earth life ended. By his marriage to Mary 
Cooley, daughter of John L. and Sarah Cooley, 
he became the father of ten children, of whom 



seven are still living, viz. : Elmira, wife of Theo- 
dore Myers; Mary E., who married J. C. Amwine; 
Caroline; Abbie C, Mrs. Alton Spoor; Rachel; 
Stanford and Augustus G. The wife and mother 
was an amiable and intelligent woman and a sin- 
cere Christian. She died at the age of sixty- two. 

During the residence of his parents in Holland 
Township the subject of this sketch was born in 
1862. When he was eleven he accompanied the 
family to Kingwood Township, where he grew to 
manhood upon the home farm. At the age of 
twenty-two he started out for himself and since 
then has been self-supporting. In 1891 he pur- 
chased the John Brink farm, where he carries on 
general farming. He is an energetic man, with 
considerable force of will and determination of 
character, and what he starts out to do he usually 
accomplishes. The Republican party contains 
the principles that he believes are best adapted to 
secure the progress of the nation and the perpet- 
uation of the federal government; consequently he 
is active in his support of its men and measures. 

In 1878 Mr. Vanderbelt was united in marriage 
with Catherine Warne, daughter of Daniel and 
Elizabeth Warne, of this county. They are the 
parents of one child, Ada. The family attend the 
Presbyterian Church of Baptistown, with which 
Mrs. Vanderbelt is identified and to the support 
of which our subject is a contributor. 



WILLIAM V. PRALL, whose home is in 
Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, 
has been for the past five years in the em- 
ploy of the North Virginia Bridge Works, of 
Charlestown, W. Va., representing the company 
in the counties of Somerset, Hunterdon and War- 
ren, N. J. The first year thirteen iron bridges 
were erected under his supervision, and he has 
been kept very busy indeed in carrying out con- 
tracts. He follows farming to some extent also, 
and has a valuable place under fine cultivation. 



274 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The grandfather of our subject was a physician, 
his residence being in the town of Reaville, this 
county. The father of William V. is William 
R. Prall, a native of Hunterdon County, as was 
also the mother, Sarah (Lance) Prall. He was a 
prominent man in his day, holding from time to 
time important local offices of responsibility and 
honor. His first wife was Elizabeth Runkle, by 
whom he had two daughters: Mercy R., deceased, 
formerly the wife of Alexander R. Risler, of 
Elizabeth City, N. J. ; and Evelyn, who with her 
husband, Caleb Shiner, is deceased also. Dur- 
ing the life of his first wife, William R. Prall set- 
tled in Glen Gardner, and engaged in merchandis- 
ing, also operating the Rowland Mill, which en- 
terprises he carried on for years. Fraternally 
he was a Mason, and for twenty years he was a 
justice of the peace, then resigning the position. 
Politically he was a Republican. He died at his 
home in Changewater, January 20, 1877, and is 
buried in Spruce Run Cemetery. His second 
wife, mother of our subject, died July 5, 1888. 

William V. Prall, of this sketch, was born March 
2, 1842, and is the only child of his mother. 
Until he was eighteen years of age he remained 
at home, obtaining his education and helping in 
his father's business concerns. He finished his 
studies with a course in Bryant & Stratton's com- 
mercial school, after which he entered the em- 
ploy of William Waggoner, of Bound Brook. 
Eater he clerked for about a year for J. C. Davis, 
whose store was destroyed by fire, and he was 
then forced to seek another position . The follow- 
ing eighteen months he was with Victor Castner, 
of Changewater, and was next shipping clerk 
for the Brown & Co. lumber mills in Whitehaven, 
Pa. , about six months. Desiring to see some- 
thing of the country he went on a trip throughout 
the west, but was not tempted to locate per- 
manently there. Returning he began working as 
a carpenter, and his first task was on the building 
now occupied by S. Fleet, of Glen Gardner. 
After two years in the carpenter's field of en- 
terprise he taught school for one season in 
Changewater. Since then he has followed his 
trade of carpentering more or less. In 1876 he 



again traveled in the west, and located at Clinton, 
Mo. , with the intention of remaining there, but 
the climate did not agree with him, and by the 
advise of his physician he returned to his native 
state. In the fall of 1878 the old homestead came 
into his possession, and two years later he sold it, 
reserving a lot on which he built a substantial 
home for himself. Since then he has bought 
sixty-two acres of land, and has cultivated the 
same, also raising live stock. For three years he 
has been interested in the Farmers' Mutual In- 
surance Company of Readington. 

When he was but little past his majority, Mr. 
Prall commenced his active public life by being 
installed as clerk of his home township. This 
position he held acceptably for five years, since 
which time he has been almost continually in 
one local office or another, and has served as a 
justice of the peace eight years. Until within a 
few years he was a very ardent Republican, but 
he has changed his attitude somewhat, and is 
now independent. Since he was twenty-one he 
has been a member of the Masonic order, be- 
longing to Mansfield Lodge No. 36, F. & A. M. , 
of Washington, N. J. September 24, 1879, Mr. 
Prall married, in Easton, Pa., Rachel, daughter of 
Josiah and Anna (Fritts) Apgar, of Lebanon 
Township originally. A daughter is the only 
child of our subject and wife, Miss Laura, now a 
school girl. 



-j — »^X.£E)} •;■!<• 1- -«—:—— 



30HN SCHOMP. Prominent among the old 
families to whose sterling characteristics is 
due much of the prosperity which the state 
of New Jersey enjoys is the one represented by 
this well-to-do farmer of Readington Township, 
Hunterdon County. It has long been a recog- 
nized fact that the wealth of a country consists 
very largely in the class of men who till the soil, 
as upon the result of their labors depend all com- 
mercial enterprises. This state has been partic- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



275 



ularly fortunate in her sturdy farmers, who have 
remained here for generations, and have devel- 
oped our resources to a remarkable degree. 

The birth of John Schomp occurred June 30, 
1840, he being a son of Henry and Sarah (Nay - 
lor) Schomp, both natives of Hunterdon County. 
Their family comprised six children, but three of 
the number died in infancy. Margaret is still 
living, and Ira, who has never married, resides 
on a farm of one hundred and fifty acres in this 
neighborhood. John Schomp, Sr. , was a life- 
long farmer, and was, moreover, a hotel-keeper 
for several years. In his political affiliations he 
was a Republican. His father, Henry G. 
Schomp, was born in this vicinity, and passed 
his whole life, some eight}'-eight years, in the 
county boundaries. 

Since he was a mere lad, John Schomp, of this 
sketch, has been devoted to the management of 
a farm. He received a general education in the 
common schools of his home district, and was 
given practical instruction in business affairs by 
his father. For a period he was interested in 
the distillery business. His present homestead 
is a tract of thirty-one acres. September 12, 
1885, he married Helena Cole, whose father, 
John T. Cole, was a farmer of this township. 
Following the example of his father, Mr. Schomp 
uses his right of franchise in favor of the nominees 
of the Republican party r . He is deeply interested 
in whatever tends to the betterment of his fel- 
lows, and does his share toward the promotion of 
public enterprises. 



0AVID BARTRON. During the years that 
have elapsed since he entered upon the prac- 
tice of the legal profession, Mr. Bartron has 
built up an important practice and has been re- 
tained as counsel in many well-known cases. 
His time has been given closely to the demands 
of his practice and he has held no offices except 



such as were in direct connection with his pro- 
fession. For four years he served as borough 
attorney, in which capacity his good judgment 
and acute reasoning faculties were of the greatest 
value to the municipal interests. Admitted to 
the bar in 1880, he opened an office in Hacketts- 
town, but after three years removed to Oxford, 
where he spent eight years, and from that place 
came to Washington, his present place of resi- 
dence. 

Mr. Bartron was born in Tranquility, Sussex 
County, N. J., August 27, 1849, and is a descend- 
ant of one of the old families of this state. Three 
brothers bearing the name of Bertrand (the origi- 
nal spelling) came to America from France, one 
settling in Philadelphia, another in Reading, and 
the third near Easton, Pa. In their native land 
they had been men of wealth and influence, and 
in their several localities each soon acquired 
prominence. David Bartron owned a farm of two 
hundred and ten acres in Hunterdon County and 
on his death this was inherited by his two sons, 
the old will written by the father being now in 
the possession of our subject. One of the sons, 
James, who was born in Hunterdon County-, was 
a soldier in the Revolution and fought under 
General Washington for several years. He died 
at the home place, in the house where his son 
and grandson also passed away. 

David, son of James Bartron, was born in Hun- 
terdon County, where he followed farming and 
the shoemaker's trade until his death. He had 
a son, Elisha M. , our subject's father, who was 
born in Warren County and there spent his en- 
tire life, engaged in farming and the manufactur- 
ing of boots and shoes. He was a Republican in 
politics and during the war was a strong sup- 
porter of the Union. He married Eleanor A. 
Cooper, daughter of Aaron and Margaret Cooper, 
and a native of Warren County, her maternal an- 
cestors having come here from Germany. She 
had one daughter and three sons. Elizabeth B. 
is the wife of .George Potter, of Burton, Mich.; 
Ruel C. lives on the old home place in Warren 
County; and Sylvester H. is in Detroit, Mich. 

After attending the public schools for some 



276 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



time, our subject entered the Pennington Semi- 
nary near Trenton, N. J., and remained a student 
there until his graduation in July, 1874. He then 
began the study of law in the office of Lock- 
wood & Post, in New York City, where he re- 
mained for one year. At the end of that time he 
entered the law office of J. C. Allen, a noted 
lawyer of Hackettstown, with whom he spent 
four years and was admitted to the bar in 1880. 
He has since engaged in professional practice and 
has gained a valuable clientage. He has taken 
an active part in the affairs of the Democratic 
party and stands high in its ranks. Fraternally 
he is a member of Mansfield Lodge No. 36, F. & 
A. M., the Royal Arcanum and the Improved 
Order of Red Men. In religious belief he is iden- 
tified with the Presbyterian Church. 

In 1886 Mr. Bartron married Jennie E. Weston, 
daughter of Charles B. and Caroline Weston. 
She was born in Massachusetts, but was brought 
to New Jersey by her parents in 1865, her father 
erecting a large nail factory at Oxford and con- 
tinuing to conduct it until his retirement from 
business cares in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Bartron are 
the parents of a daughter, Jean Pauline. 



ORENZO D. HAGAMAN, attorney-at law 
I C and a prominent citizen of Frenchtown, was 
l_2f born near Ringoes, Hunterdon County, in 
1S57, being a son of Lewis and Sarah E. (Mat- 
thews) Hagaman. His father, who was a native 
of the same place as himself, removed to French- 
town in 1884, where he died May 24, 1896, at 
seventy-nine years of age. By trade he was a 
carpenter, which he followed for some years, and 
later was engaged in the stock business. Politi- 
cally he voted the Democratic ticket, but was not 
active in the part}'. His father, Abram Haga- 
man, was born near Ringoes in January, 1786, 
and engaged in farming there until his death, in 
1868, at the age of eighty-two. The father of 



Abram was Abram, Sr. , whose father, also of the 
same name, was born near Sandy Ridge, Hun- 
terdon County, and the latter' s father, Abram, 
came to Hunterdon from either Somerset or Mid- 
dlesex County, this state. By his marriage to 
the daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Burroughs) 
Matthews, Lewis Hagaman had two children, but 
Lorenzo D. is the only survivor. The mother 
died in 1859, when twenty-three years of age. 

After the death of his mother our subject was 
taken into the home of his grandparents, by 
whom he was educated and under whose careful 
oversight he grew to manhood. He attended 
the Pennington and Ringoes seminaries and 
graduated from the latter in June, 1875. After- 
ward he began the study of law under Hon. John 
T. Bird, of Trenton, and was admitted to the bar 
of Hunterdon County in February, 1882. At 
once upon completing his studies he opened an 
office at Frenchtown, where he has since engaged 
in legal practice. In addition to the law he is 
local agent for the Continental, German- Ameri- 
can and New York Insurance Companies, for 
Frenchtown and vicinity. Politically he is a 
Democrat. For three years he was city clerk. 
In 1886 he was elected a member of the city 
council and served until 1889. In 1889 he was 
elected mayor of Frenchtown, which position he 
filled two years. In 1888 he married Carrie 
Rockafellar, daughter of Samuel and Zeruah 
(Duckworth) Rockafellar, and a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is one 
of the trustees. 

Fraternally Mr. Hagaman is a member of 
Orion Lodge No. 56, F. & A. M., Wilson Chap- 
ter, R. A. M., and St. Elmo Commandery, K. 
T. , and is past master in the blue lodge. In the 
lodge of Odd Fellows at Ringoes he has passed 
all of the chairs, also those in Home Lodge No. 
95, K. of P., and has served for four years as a 
member of the finance committee of the Grand 
Lodge of New Jersey for the Knights of Pythias. 
In the Junior Order United American Mechanics 
he has been treasurer of the council, and in the 
Manhattan Tribe of Red Men has served as pre- 
siding officer. Since coining to this place he has 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



277 



been attorney for the city of Frenchtown and the 
Union National Bank. As a lawyer he is quick, 
far-seeing and logical, with acute reasoning facul- 
ties and force of will, qualities which have con- 
tributed to his success in the profession. 



KICHARD ASHCROFT. By training and 
inclination Mr. Ashcroft is a farmer, and 
the success that has come to him in agricult- 
ure proves that he acted wisely in following his 
preference in this direction. In 1876 he bought 
the Rittenhouse farm near Frenchtown, and there 
he made his home for a number of years, remov- 
ing from that place to the old Presbyterian par- 
sonage that he now owns and occupies. He is 
the owner of two farms aggregating one hundred 
and thirty acres, upon which he engages in 
dairying and general farming. 

The Ashcroft family is of English origin. The 
father of our subject, James Ashcroft, Sr., was 
born near Manchester, England, in 1804, and 
some years after his marriage to Sarah Irlam he 
came to America, settling near Philadelphia in 
1838. His son, Richard, was born in England 
in 1839 and at the age of nine months was 
brought to the United States by his mother. For 
some years the family resided near Doylestown, 
Pa., but in 1858 removed to New Jersey, settling 
in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County, 
where the father died at the age of seventy-three. 
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church of 
Oak Summit and had many warm friends among 
the people of his neighborhood. In his family 
there were eleven children, viz.: John, Alice, 
William, Arenia, Richard, James, Alfred, Samuel 
E., Sarah A., Edwin and Jennie. 

Educated in the public schools of Bucks 
County, Pa., our subject accompanied his par- 
ents to New Jersey in 1858 and remained with 
them until twenty-five years of age, when he 
rented a farm near Kingwood Hotel. In 1S76 he 



bought his wife's old homestead near French- 
town, and there he engaged in raising general 
farm products. Eater, however, he removed to 
his present home. He is deeply interested in the 
cause of temperance and both in theory and prac- 
tice upholds Prohibition principles. For some 
time he has been a trustee in the Baptist Church 
of Frenchtown. Fraternally he is connected with 
the Shepherds of Bethlehem. In 1867 he mar- 
ried Mary Jane, daughter of Garner Rittenhouse, 
and they are the parents of two children: Annie 
Mary, Mrs. Ross Wolverton; and James Irving, 
of Pittstowu, Hunterdon County. 



ANIEE P. CASE. Much has been said by 
^ philosophers and able reasoners on the sub- 
(*) ject of the relative importance of the strictly 
commercial man of business and the farmer, by 
whose labor are produced the food supplies of the 
people, and these wise men have always come to 
the conclusion that the two classes are mutually 
necessary and dependent upon each other, and 
therefore of equal value to any state. If any- 
thing, the farmer is the more independent man of 
the two, and upon him rests the foundation of 
any prosperous nation. New Jersey has ever 
been fortunate in her agriculturists, for they have 
developed her resources to the utmost limit, and 
the great cities adjacent to her territory depend 
largely upon her for food products. 

Among the enterprising farmers of Raritan 
Township, Hunterdon County, is the subject of 
this article. He is the possessor of a valuable 
tract of nearly two hundred acres, suitable for 
raising ordinary crops, and also used for dairying. 
He is a native of this vicinity, having been born 
on the farm now owned by Peter Shepherd, De- 
cember 28, 1854. His parents were David A. 
and Susan E. (Pierson) Case, natives of the same 
township. They had five children, the eldest of 
whom, John R., lives near Quakertown; Joseph D. 



278 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



is a resident of Delaware Township; Jonathan is 
a resident of this township; Susan E. is deceased; 
and Daniel P. is the youngest. The father was 
a life-long agriculturist, and passed his last years 
in Franklin Township. He died in 1894, at the 
good old age of eighty-two years. His wife was 
fourscore years old at the time of her death, in 
1891. 

When he was a youth of fifteen, Daniel P. Case 
went to East Amwell Township, where he worked 
on a farm for two years, and then, going to Dela- 
ware Township, he found employment in the same 
line for a similar period. From that time until 
1894 he resided in Franklin Township, and while 
there acted in the capacity of register of the town- 
ship, having been elected by his political friends, 
the Republicans of that locality. For the past 
four years he has lived upon the farm which he 
purchased in 1894. 

Mr. Case attended the seminar}' at Ringoes 
after finishing his elementary studies in the public 
schools, and is to-day a well- informed man upon 
the various subjects of general interest. In 1879 
he married Minnie Sturm, ofSunnyside, daughter 
of Frederick Sturm, and they have four children, 
viz.: Eeslie J., Fred S., Recttor D. and John P. 
Mr. and Mrs. Case are members of the Baptist 
Church of Flemingtou, and stand high in the re- 
gard of all who have the pleasure of their ac- 
quaintance. 



»m 



~e — f- 



(T OSEPH WIEEIAMSON. Few men in Hun- 
I terdon County more thoroughly enjoy the 
G/ confidence and genuine esteem of their neigh- 
bors and associates than does he of whom we 
write. He was born on the old family home- 
stead in Delaware Township where he.is living 
to-day, and has spent the greater part of his life 
within the walls of his present home. From 1885 
to 18S8 he enjoyed the honor of being county 
collector for Hunterdon County, he having been 



elected for a three years' term by the board of 
freeholders. He was also justice of the peace for 
two terms of five years each. He has also served 
as a judge of elections for nine years, and has 
often been sent as a delegate to district and 
county conventions of the Democratic part}-, to 
which organization he gives his political alle- 
giance. 

Abraham Williamson, grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was a native of Germany, and came to 
America prior to the war of the Revolution, in 
which conflict he took part. Afterwards he set- 
tled in Delaware Township, on the tract of land 
which has descended to his grandson, Joseph. 
By trade he was a weaver, but his main occupa- 
tion in life was that of farming. His five children 
were Richard, Abraham, Sarah, Eleanor and 
Matthias. The last-mentioned, born on this 
homestead, February 22, 1787, married Susan 
Slack October 13, 1832, and their third child was 
Joseph, of this sketch. Their two elder children, 
Asher, born November 14, 1835, and Sarah E., 
born August 2, 1837, both died on the same day, 
September 5, 1S42, with that dread disease, scar- 
let fever. The youngest of the family, Margaret, 
born January 2, 1844, and widow of Bartlett 
Hand, resides in Kingwood Township, this 
county. The father, who held various local offi- 
ces, such as constable, died March 6, 1875. His 
wife, a devout member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, died July 27, 1S59. 

Joseph Williamson was born October 10, 1839, 
and when he was of a suitable age began attend- 
ing the district schools. He was naturally very 
apt and quick to learn, and made the best of such 
advantages as were within his reach, and thus 
when he was uearing his majority we find him 
himself conducting a school. For several winter 
terms he was thus employed, making a success of 
the undertaking. From the time he was twenty- 
one until 1877 he had charge of the management 
of the old homestead, and at the time last men- 
tioned he removed to the farm near Sergeants- 
ville, Hunterdon County, formerly belonging to 
his wife's father. This property he purchased, 
and cultivated about twelve vears, then returuins: 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



279 



to his old home here, where he owns one hun- 
dred and forty acres. It is a fine place and has 
a peach orchard of some three thousand trees. 
In addition to this farm, Mr. Williamson still 
owns the tract of fort)' -three acres at Sergeants- 
ville before mentioned. He has passed all of the 
chairs in Orpheus Lodge No. 137, F. & A. M., 
of Stockton, N. J. 

In December, 1864, Mr. Williamson and Miss 
Mary A. Gordon, a native of this township, were 
united in marriage. They have a nice family of 
five children, viz.: Franklin P., Kate G., Mat- 
thias, John H. and Frederick B., born in the 
order named. 






^JEORGE WILLIS TITMAN, M. D., of 
— Hackettstown, is a member of a family that 
^\ h as been long and honorably associated with 
the history of Warren Count)'. The first of the 
name to locate in America was Ludwig Tittman 
(as the name was then spelled) , who crossed the 
Atlantic and landed in Philadelphia in 1730. Seven 
years later he purchased a tract of farming land, 
four hundred acres, near Blairstown, N.J. The 
farm became the property of his son George, who 
also purchased two hundred and twenty-six acres 
in Oxford Township, now Warren County, in 1775. 
The latter tract descended through the latter' s 
son George and grandson George to our subject's 
grandfather, who bore the same name and who 
was born on the old homestead. Orphaned by 
his father's death when he was a mere lad, he 
took charge of the farm and the management of 
the family interests at the age of fourteen years, 
and from that time on his life was a busy and 
active one. Not only was he prominent in busi- 
ness circles, but in politics also he was active, 
and as a member of the Democratic party wielded 
a wide influence in his locality. In 1S4S he was 
elected sheriff of Warren County and filled that 
position for three years. 



The maternal ancestors of Dr. Titmau were 
also early settlers of America. The Curtis family 
was founded in this country by Henry Curtis, 
who received a grant to land situated at Windsor, 
Conn., and whose son Samuel was born on that 
place in 1649. The doctor's great-grandfather, 
Deacon Joseph Curtis, was first lieutenant of a 
company that served in the Revolution and took 
an active part in securing the independence of the 
colonies. He had a son, Lathrop Willis Curtis, 
M. D., who studied medicine under Dr. Mussey, 
and was a graduate of Dartmouth College. The 
state board of Vermont granted him a certificate 
to practice in that state, and this paper, bearing 
date of 1829, is now in the possession of our sub- 
ject. In 1832 he removed to Illinois, then con- 
sidered the far west. There he established his 
home in Fulton County and built the first frame 
building erected in Canton, later the county-seat 
and a prosperous city. He was widely known 
among the pioneers of Fulton County, where he 
built up a successful practice and where he con- 
tinued to reside until death. He was a Royal 
Arch Mason and stood high among the members 
of the fraternity. 

The father of Dr. Titman was Marshall Tit- 
man, a native of Bridgeville, Warren County, 
where he spent the greater part of his life, en- 
gaged in the mercantile and grain business. 
Interested in public affairs, he took an active part 
in matters pertaining to the township and county. 
In politics he affiliated with the Democrats, and 
upon the party ticket was elected to various 
offices of a local nature. For a time he held the 
position of deputy sheriff. He was a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Born in 1831, 
he was sixty-four years of age at the time of his 
death, in 1895. His wife, Mary P. (Curtis) 
Titman, was born in May, 1833, and died in 
August, 1897, at sixty-four years of age. She 
was a sincere Christian and a member of the 
Presbyterian Church. 

The subject of this review, who was the only 
child of his parents, was born in Bridgeville June 
20, 1863, and in boyhood was a pupil in the 
Belvidere Academy and afterwards at Blair Hall 



28o 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Academy, N. J. In the spring of 1880 he began 
to study medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. 
Daniel Gardner, of Woodbury, N. J., and in the 
fall of the same year he entered Hahnemann 
Medical College of Philadelphia, where he took a 
full course of lectures, graduating in 1883. He 
continued his studies as assistant to one of the 
faculty. In October, 1883, he opened an office 
at Germantown, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, 
where, as the years passed by, he became the 
possessor of an important and lucrative practice. 
This he sold in October, 1897, and returned to 
his native county, where he has since resided at 
Hackettstown. He is related to many of the 
most prominent people of this locality, and is 
also on the maternal side a connection of the 
Wright family, which is one of the oldest in 
America. 

The marriage of Dr. Titman united him with 
Miss Leonora Stephens, daughter of Samuel 
Stephens, of Hackettstown. They have two 
children, Willis and Leonora. As were both his 
grandfathers, he is identified with the Masonic 
fraternity. Both Mr. and Mrs. Titman are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown. 



(tjAMUEL CLARK. In perusing the history 
/\ of this sterling old citizen of New German- 
\ ~J town, Hunterdon County, the most casual 
reader finds much of interest, and his numerous 
friends here and elsewhere will be thoroughly 
pleased to have the privilege of tracing the story of 
his life. Indeed, his life very nearly spans this 
century, and he has been a witness of much of the 
marvelous growth and development of the United 
States. Having lived in the state of New Jersey, 
he is practically one of her sons, though he is a 
native of a sister state. 

Abel Clark, the father of our subject, was born 
in Connecticut, and was a youth of a dozen years 
or more at the time of the Revolutionary war. He 



was about sixteen, and with some other lads of 
about his age was engaged in herding some cattle 
near the shores of the ocean, when a British gun- 
boat landed some soldiers and captured the boys, 
as well as the cattle, taking them on board the 
ship. The men of the home colony were, with few 
exceptions, away fighting the battles of their 
country, and thus the boys were an easy prey to 
the enemy. Young Clark was conveyed to New 
York, where he was imprisoned six months, or 
until General Washington was in Long Island, 
and secured the lads freedom by exchanging a 
British soldier for him. Afterwards Abel Clark 
participated in several skirmishes, and when the 
war had come to a happy termination he returned 
home to Old Milford. There he married Lois 
Smith, and six sons and a daughter were born to 
them; of these our subject is the only survivor. 

The birth of Samuel Clark occurred in the 
vicinity of Old Milford, Conn., April 1, 1810. 
From the time he was twelve years until eighteen 
he attended private schools during the winter 
season, thereby gaining his education. When he 
was sixteen he went to Great Falls, N. H., to 
learn the mason's trade. The great man of his 
home neighborhood, hearing that he was going, 
gave him $5 to take with him, a wonderful 
sum to a lad in that early da}'. While working 
as an apprentice, having bound himself for a term 
of four years, he was employed in different places 
in New Hampshire and New York, receiving only 
$3 a month, and this amount he had to turn 
over to William Winship, the man to whom he 
had bound himself. When his time was up he 
turned his attention to carpentering during the 
winter, making $1 1.50a month. In the following 
spring he went to Geneva, N. Y. , and remained 
there three years, doing mason work. He then 
started out as a salesman for Holt & Chidsey, of 
Geneva, which firm later removed to Easton, Pa. 
The young man stayed in the employ of that com- 
pany about seven years, and with them came west- 
ward to Easton, driving a team through New York 
and this far. 

In 1836 he settled in Lebanon, N. J., where he 
established himself in business, and conducted a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



281 



store successfully for twelve years. He then sold 
out, investing the sum realized in a hotel and 
small farm. The hotel he carried on successful!}- 
for twenty-four years, then rented it until 1896, 
when he sold out his interest in the same, and 
has since lived retired from business. He was a 
pioneer in the fruit or peach culture, planting the 
first orchard in this locality. He has occupied 
about every office in the township, discharging 
the duties of each post with fidelity and to the 
entire satisfaction of all concerned. Formerly a 
Henry Clay Whig, he later became a Democrat, 
but is liberal in his views. He was once nomi- 
nated for the assembly and for sheriff and has 
been a freeholder of Tewksbury Township. 
Though he has been so often before the public in 
these different capacities, he has been more active 
in the promotion of the political interests of friends 
than he has in his own. During the Civil war 
he was past the age of service, but his ardent 
patriotism was not satisfied until he had thorough- 
ly manifested his willingness to be actively repre- 
sented, and, after doing all in his power to aid the 
Union cause, he furnished two men for the ranks, 
to go in his stead. Many years ago he helped to 
establish a Masonic lodge in this locality, this 
being Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., for- 
merly of Peapack, but later removed to White 
House and theu to Clinton. Mr. Clark is a past 
master of this lodge. 

October 29, 1836, the marriage of Samuel Clark 
and Sarah, daughter of James Ramsey, of Leba- 
non, was solemnized. The Ramseys are old and 
influential people in these parts, and some of them 
are represented in this volume. Of the seven 
children born to our subject and wife four are liv- 
ing, viz.: Alvah, a prominent attorney of Somer- 
ville, N. J. , and at present a member of the legis- 
lature; George, a farmer in the neighborhood of 
Lebanon; John, a stock dealer in Califou; and 
Charles, an attorney in the city of Honolulu, 
Hawaii. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are exceptionally 
well preserved, both being in complete possession 
of their faculties, physically and mentally. They 
celebrated their golden anniversary in 1886, and, 
are consequently now in the sixty-third year of 



their happy married life, a record that is rarely 
surpassed. One of their grandchildren, George 
Martin, Jr., is in business in New York City, and 
makes his home with his grandparents. He is at 
this time a member of the New Jersey legislature. 
Mr. and Mrs. Clark are both members of the 
Dutch Reformed Church of Lebanon, one of the 
oldest congregations in this count}'. They enjoy 
the love and high regard of all who know them, 
and their well-wishers are legion. 



EVI HOLCOMBE, who was postmaster of 
I C Ringoes, Hunterdon County, under Presi- 
Ly dent Cleveland's first administration, is an 
active Democrat, and has filled numerous public 
offices to the satisfaction of all concerned. Since 
1877 he has been a justice of the peace and from 
1889 to 1896 was assessor of East Amwell Town- 
ship. He has made his home in Ringoes for the 
past twenty -three years and since 1882 has been 
agent for the Mercer County Mutual, the Hills- 
boro Mutual and the Continental Insurance Com- 
panies, the last of New York City. 

The father of our subject, George B. Holcombe, 
was a farmer and cattle-buyer of this county, and 
was for three years sheriff of this county, and 
also served as assessor several years. He re- 
moved to Lambertville about 1843, and made 
his home there thenceforth. His first wife was 
Louisa Holcombe, and Levi, born July 1, 1842, 
was their eldest child. John, the next, is now a 
merchant of Lambertville. Martin Y. B. is a 
farmer of West Amwell Township. Eveline is 
the wife of Charles Price, of Trenton. The sec- 
ond wife of George B. Holcombe bore the maiden 
name of Ann L. Robbins. Their family were as 
follows: Andrew, a resident of Neshanic Station, 
N. J. ; Frank, a lumber merchant of Cedar Point, 
Kan.; Etta, of Kansas; Albert, a resident of 
Trenton, N. J.; Kate, deceased wife of Charles 



282 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Capper, of Snow Hill, Md.; Georgia, second wife 
of Charles Capper; and Victor B., a merchant in 
Trenton, N. J. 

Levi Holcombe was reared in Lambertville, 
and educated in her public schools. When he 
was about seventeen he began working as a car- 
penter, serving an apprenticeship at Reaville, and 
later followed his trade in the car shops of Lam- 
bertville. During a part of the war he was in 
the construction corps, and while acting in that 
capacity witnessed the battles of Missionary Ridge 
and Lookout Mountain. Returning to Lambert- 
ville, he continued to reside there until 1875, 
since which time he has made Ringoes his place 
of residence. He is secretary of the cemetery 
association and a member of the vigilance com- 
mittee. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar 
Mason and is a member of Leni Lenape Lodge 
No. 15,1. O. O. F., of Lambertville and is a mem- 
ber of the encampment. He has held all the 
offices in the lodge and is past grand patriarch of 
the state of New Jersey. Religiously he is a 
Presbyterian, is a deacon in the church at Rin- 
goes, and has been superintendent of the Sunday- 
school fifteen years. 

The marriage of Mr. Holcombe and Mary M. 
Williamson was solemnized in 1863. Edwin, 
their eldest son, is foreman with the Knicker- 
bocker Ice Company; Charles is engaged in the 
undertaking business in Ringoes, and was post- 
master of this place during Cleveland's last ad- 
ministration; Calvin C. is a clerk in the employ 
of Orville Dilts; and Julia completes the family. 



HOWARD SUTTON, general merchant in 
Fairmount, Hunterdon County, is carrying 
on the business that was founded here by 
his grandfather, and in which he was succeeded 
by his son, the father of our subject. Thus he is 
of the third generation of Suttons who have at- 
tended to the needs of this community in a com- 



mercial way, and it may be truly said that no 
more enterprising, and at the same time thor- 
oughly reliable, trustworthy and upright busi- 
ness men have ever lived in this section. 
They have enjoyed the confidence of all who 
have had dealings with them, and from father to 
son had descended that strict regard for the rights 
and welfare of others that has endeared each of 
them in turn to our citizens. 

The modern and finely equipped establishment 
now managed by Howard Sutton bears little re- 
semblance to the one formerly carried on by his 
predecessors, though that was sufficient for the 
times. In 1894 he removed from the old dingy 
store building to a new one across the way — the 
one in which he is now to be found. This is 
stocked with fresh, inviting goods of the diversi- 
fied description necessary in a store of this nature. 
Mr. Sutton succeeded to his father in the business 
in 1888 and for six years was located in the old 
store. 

In the ranks of the local Democracy Mr. Sutton 
stands high, and though he has never been an 
office-seeker he has accepted several positions at 
the earnest solicitations of his friends. He fre- 
quently represents this section in the various con- 
ventions of his party, and is now serving his 
second term as township clerk. During the first 
administration of President Cleveland Mr. Sutton 
was appointed by him to the office of postmaster 
of Fairmount, and held the position for four 
years. When Mr. Cleveland was again in the 
presidential chair,- Mr. Sutton was once more 
honored by being made postmaster, and is still 
acting in that capacity. He is a member of 
Rialto Lodge No. 163, I. O. O. F., of High 
Bridge; is a Knight of Pythias, belonging to Fi- 
delity Lodge No. 123, of Califon, and has filled 
all the chairs and is past chief of Califon Castle 
No. 32, Knights of the Golden Eagle. 

Mr. Sutton was born on the old family home- 
stead February 13, 1862, his parents being George 
B. and Lydia (Hoffman) Sutton. He received a 
good general education and when he was nineteen 
years old entered his father's store, remaining 
there until he attained his majority. Desiring 




WILLIAM CRAIG. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



285 



then to see something of his native land before 
he settled down for serious routine work, he went 
to the west, and was for about a year in Illinois. 
Returning home he was employed as formerly in 
the store for about a year, and then visited in the 
west for several months again. The next time 
that he came back he did so with the determina- 
tion of making this his permanent home, as he 
has done. He became the owner of the business 
by purchase in 1888, his father retiring. 

November n, 1891, Mr. Sutton married Emma, 
daughter of William H. and Mary (Lance) Ander- 
son, of Califou. They have two bright little 
daughters, Lena and Nancy. 



-j 02+M 



H<0- 



-~ 1— ;- 



|ILLIAM CRAIG, a successful business 
man and agriculturist of Tewksbury Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County, is also the pro- 
prietor, with his brother, Richard F. , under the 
style of W. & R. F. Craig, of the Pottersville 
flouring mill, formerly owned by his father. 
This mill is a model one of the size, is fitted with 
the improved roller process, and as fine flour is 
manufactured here as can be found in any of the 
more extensive mills of the countiy. Though in 
no sense of the word an officeseeker, Mr. Craig 
has from time to time been prevailed upon to ac- 
cept local positions of more or less importance, 
and has always acquitted himself with credit. He 
was elected on the Democratic ticket as township 
clerk, and acted in that capacity for eight years. 
He was also collector for this section three years 
and since 1886 has been a justice of the peace, 
being now in his fourth term as such. Educa- 
tional matters find in him one who is deeply con- 
cerned, and since 1889 he has been a school trus- 
tee of the New Germantown district. In 1894 
he was elected clerk of the board of education for 
Tewksbury Township, and is yet acting in this 
important office. 

A sou of Robert and Elizabeth (Fields) Craig, 



our subject was born May 21, 1S41, and with 
his eight brothers and sisters was reared to ma- 
ture years upon the paternal farm. (See sketch 
of his brother, Henry F. Craig, on another page 
of this work.) The education of William Craig 
was completed in the academy in Caldwell, 
Essex County, N. J. He continued to live on 
the home farm long after he had reached his ma- 
jority, and in 187 1 built the house which has 
since sheltered himself and those dear to him. 
After his marriage he settled down upon a por- 
tion of the old homestead, where he has been of 
late years especially interested in growing peaches 
and in dairying. When his father's estate was 
settled in 1895 ne became the purchaser of the 
flour mill previously mentioned. 

February 13, 1872, William Craig married 
Mary W., daughter of Jonathan and Jane (Kline) 
Dawes, of Stanton, N. J. The former was a very 
prominent figure in this county in his generation, 
and was elected a member of the legislature, 
serving in the sessions of 1841-42. Three chil- 
dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Craig: Jona- 
than D., named for his grandfather, and now in 
his senior year in Lafayette College; William 
Warren Blauvelt, named for Rev. William W. 
Blauvelt, pastor of the Lamington (N. J.) Pres- 
byterian Church for more than fifty years; and 
Edith F. Rev. W. W. Blauvelt gave to his 
namesake a Bible with this inscription within it: 
"From William W. Blauvelt, pastor of your 
parents, grandparents and great-grandparents." 
Still another generation of the lad's ancestors, 
whom the recorder omitted to mention, was Hen- 
drick Field, his great-great-grandfather, who 
was also a member of the congregation presided 
over by Rev. Mr. Blauvelt. Since his early life 
Mr. Craig, our subject, has been a member of 
the same church, since 1888 has been a trustee of 
the board and for five years has been its presi- 
dent. 

Moses Craig was the first of his family to come 
to this county. He emigrated here from the 
north of Ireland with a Presbyterian colony, 
which formed the original church at Lamington, 
Somerset County, about 1730. He bought what 



10 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



is still the homestead farm in Tewksbury Town- 
ship, in 1757, and died July 31, 1777. The prop- 
erty descended to his son Robert, who was born 
November 15, 1734. He married February 7, 
1756, and some time after the death of his wife 
in 1777 (she leaving several children) he mar- 
ried Elizabeth Taylor, by whom he had four sons 
and a daughter. One of these, William, born in 
1785, was the grandfather of our subject. His 
father died when he was a mere boy, and upon 
attaining his majority he and his brother Joseph 
bought out the interest of the other heirs in the 
homestead. 

In 1822 William purchased the interest of 
Joseph, and when he died he willed the estate to 
his son Robert, father of our subject. Robert 
Craig was born March 10, 1815, and became one 
of the most influential citizens of this locality. A 
Democrat in politics, he held numerous official 
positions of trust and honor, to the entire satis- 
faction of all concerned. During the war, when 
much money was handled, he, in his capacity of 
committeeman and treasurer, won the commen- 
dation of all, and altogether he was on the town- 
ship committee about a quarter of a century. He 
was one of the pillars in the Eamiugton Presby- 
terian Church, and for many years was a ruling 
elder in the same. In the fall of 1887 he pur- 
chased the mill property at Pottersville, remod- 
eled it and put in the improved roller process, 
this making it first-class in every respect. He 
was very active and energetic up to the last, and 
when death summoned him he was at the post o{ 
duty. December 22, 1892, while walking to his 
house, after he had been working at a spring, 
where he had a hydraulic ram to force the water 
to his residence, he suddenly fell dead. Death 
came to him as he would have wished, without 
lingering illness or wasting disease, and found 
him ready. He was a man of whom his children 
may justly be proud, and his memory is cher- 
ished in a multitude of friendly hearts. Among 
his records of the old church are many of great 
interest, some dating back to 1740. The first 
pastor there was Rev. James McCrea, whose 
salary was forty pounds a year, English money, 



until 1748, when it was increased by a third. 
The accounts of the expenses of the church are 
all in pounds, shillings and pence, English style. 
January 9, 1840, Mr. Craig married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Richard H. Field, of Lamington. 
They had nine children, as follows: William; 
Richard F., who married Alice L. , daughter of 
David Welsh; Sarah E., wife of Henry M. Kline, 
of Clinton; Gertrude, deceased wife of David 
Dunham, of High Bridge Township; Henry F. , 
represented elsewhere in this volume; Mary L. , 
wife of William B. Dunham, of Pottersville, N. 
J.; Margaret V., who married William Waldron, 
a farmer of New Germantown; Anna B., wife of 
John Skillman, now operating part of the old 
homestead; and Robert, unmarried. 



ROBERT S. PRICE, of Hackettstowu, War- 
ren County, is now serving his eighteenth 
year as county superintendent of schools, 
and is one of the representative citizens of 
this portion of New Jersey. He is a man of 
superior attainments and natural talents, being 
eminently cpaalified for the responsible position 
he has filled so long and so acceptable to all con- 
cerned. Though particularly interested in the 
subject of education for the young, he is a man of 
such broad ideas that he is deeply concerned in 
everything tending towards the elevation and up- 
lifting of humanity, and in promoting the high- 
est interests cf the state. 

The grandfather of the above-named gentleman 
was David Price, who was born in Wales, and came 
to America in the latter part of the last century, 
settling in Warren Count}*, near Hackettstown. 
He married here Miss Anna Ayers, a native of 
this locality, and a daughter of Ezekiel Ayers, 
who a century ago owned a large portion of the 
land where Hackettstown is located. Mrs. 
Price lived to be over ninety years old. Their 
son Archibald, born in this place, where he 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



287 



spent his entire life, was the father of our sub- 
ject. When he reached his majority he engaged 
in the meat and live-stock business. After being 
successfully occupied in this enterprise about 
thirty-five years he retired from business, though 
he still continued to be very active both in mind 
and body until a few days prior to his death, 
which occurred in February, 1889, when in his 
eighty-first year. In local affairs he was always 
actively interested, and in national issues he 
voted the Democratic ticket. At various times 
he held official positions, being a member of the 
common council, tax collector, etc. He married 
DydiaSagur, of Hunterdon County, and she is 
still living, aged eighty-four years. She is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church, and is a 
lady who is beloved by all who know her. Her 
father was of German descent and was a school- 
teacher by profession. To Archibald and L/ydia 
Price six children were born: Edgar died at 
eighteen years of age; William is a resident of 
Newark, N. J.; Elizabeth A. married Charles N. 
Downs, ofHackettstown; Roberts., of this sketch, 
is next in order of birth; Archibald is a resident 
of Morristown, N. J., and Theodore a resident of 
Newark, N. J. 

Robert S. Price was born December 31, 1840, 
in Hackettstown, and was a pupil in the com- 
mon schools until he was about eighteen. He 
then attended the state "model school " in Tren- 
ton, N. J., after which he took a course at the 
Commercial College in Newark, N. J. Choosing 
the law as a profession, he began studying under 
the instruction of Col. C. H. Valentine, of Hack- 
ettstown, and was duly admitted to the bar and 
successfully followed the profession for six 3'ears. 
In 1867 he was one of the promoters of the 
Hackettstown Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
and drew up the charter for the company, of which 
he was elected secretary, holding that office for 
fifteen years or until he was appointed county 
superintendent of schools. He is still a director 
in the company. Up to the time that he was ap- 
pointed county superintendent of schools he was 
occupied in the practice of law and in discharging 
the duties of the secretaryship of the insurance 



company just noted. Unusual distinction is his, 
as he has been appointed to his present position 
for six succeeding terms by the state board of 
education, and is the only man in this county 
who has ever held the office for more than two 
terms. He also served his fellow-citizens in the 
capacity of mayor, member of the common coun- 
cil and cit}' clerk. Fraternally he is connected 
with Independence Dodge No. 42, F. & A. M., 
of Hackettstown. 

A faithful and earnest worker in the Presbyte- 
rian Church, he was remarkablj' successful as 
superintendent of the Sunday-school for years. 
In 1880 he married Mary J. Johnson, daughter 
of William L. Johnson, a prominent business 
man of Hackettstown, and they have one daugh- 
ter, Mabel S. 



(lOHN W. COODEY. The family represented 
I by this gentleman originated in Europe. 
Q) From that country Philip Cooley came to 
America and settled in Alexandria Township, 
Hunterdon County, where he became the owner 
of a large tract of land. His son, Philip, Jr., 
who was born in Hunterdon County, had a son, 
George H., our subject's father, who was born 
in Kingwood Township, where, and in Alexandria, 
he spent his active life engaged in farm pursuits. 
Politically he affiliated with the Democrats, and 
in religious belief was identified with the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. His death occurred in 
1870, when he was but forty years of age. His 
marriage united him with Elizabeth Roberson, 
daughter of John and Grace Roberson, and an 
earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. She survived her husband some years, 
dying at the age of fifty-five. 

Of three children that comprised the family, 
our subject is the sole survivor. He was born 
in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County, in 
1859, and was reared in that township and 



283 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Bethlehem and Holland. When twenty years of 
age he went west and spent one year in Illinois, 
but not liking the prospects there returned to 
New Jersey. In 1894 he bought a farm near 
Frenchtown and here he engages in raising 
fruits and berries, as well as general farm prod- 
ucts. The place contains ninety-three acres and 
is improved with a substantial set of buildings, 
adapted to their varied needs. 

The political belief of Mr. Cooley brings him 
into sympathy with the Democratic party, which 
ticket he always votes. He has never cared for 
public office, but has preferred to devote himself 
entirely to the labor of cultivating his farm. 
Matters relative to the public welfare receive his 
attention and all progressive plans have his sup- 
port. He and his family attend the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which he is an active mem- 
ber. His marriage, August 4, 18S6, united him 
with Arah Eichland, daughter of Samuel and 
Jane Eichland. One child blesses their union, a 
son named Eldon E. 



P^ETER B. SROPE is one of the old and hon- 
y? ored business men of Hunterdon County, 
\S and for nearly half a century he has been en- 
gaged in general merchandising in Pattenburg. 
He located here when the railroad was being con- 
structed through here, and has been a witness of 
the prosperity and development of this region. 
He has been the architect of his own fortunes, 
having won a competency by years of untiring en- 
ergy and well-applied industry. 

Grandfather Christopher Srope was a native of 
Germany, as was also his wife, Thankful. Our 
subject's parents were John and Eleanor (Smith) 
Srope, who lived and died in the vicinity of Nor- 
ton, N. J. The father was a blacksmith by trade, 
and had a large family for which to provide, but 
he was an honest, hard-working man, a kind 
husband and father, and did as well by his chil- 
dren as he was able. His nine sons were as fol- 



lows: Eewis and Christopher, both deceased; 
Jacob; William, deceased; John; Theodore, de- 
ceased; Peter B., Henry and Robert P. The 
three daughters were: Anna and Thankful, both 
deceased, and Mary, wife of Stryker Taylor, of 
Ogle County, 111. 

Peter B. Srope was born January 24, 1821, in 
Norton, N. J., and remained at home only until 
he was eleven years of age, when he went to live 
with Peter Bodine, of the same neighborhood. 
He was a member of that worthy man's house- 
hold about three years, after which he resided 
with his brother Christopher two years. At the 
end of that time he commenced serving an ap- 
prenticeship to the tailor's trade, and worked at 
that calling faithfully five years. Returning to 
the place of his birth he bought a little home, 
and in September, 1844, he and his newly-made 
bride commenced housekeeping. She was Lydia, 
daughter of George G. Cramer, whose home was 
near Lebanon, this county. 

During the six years following his marriage our 
subject carried on a tailoring establishment in 
Norton, but the confinement of the work at last 
told upon his health and he decided to give up 
the business. Believing that out -door life would 
be of benefit to him he bought a farm, and about 
the same time opened a store in Norton. This 
concern he was connected with some three years, 
and then, selling out, he bought the mill property 
at the point now known as Sunm - side, paying 
$11,000 for the same. At the expiration of two 
years he sold it for the same amount, and in its 
stead purchased the Hoffman mill, of Round Val- 
ley, managing this with ability for ten years or 
more. His wife having died, he removed to a 
farm in Round Valley, but sold this land a few 
months later at an advanced price. In 1S50 he 
came to this town, bought a lot and proceeded to 
establish himself permanently in business. He 
has not allowed his time or attention to be di- 
verted to other enterprises since, and has been 
very successful. Though not an office-seeker, 
he has been induced to accept local positions now 
and then, and in politics he is a stanch Demo- 
crat. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



289 



To the marriage of Peter B. Srope and wife, 
Eydia, five children were born, viz.: George K. , 
a collector of Union Township; Barker, who is in 
the grocery business in Newark; Peter S., named 
for his father, in the coal trade in Jersey City; 
Catherine K., the wife of Henry Smith, a farmer 
of Pittstown; and Ella, the wife of Sloan Hulsi- 
zer, a telegraph operator of Bloomsbury, N. J. 
For many years Mr. Srope has been identified 
with the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, has 
been a valued worker in the same and has held 
the office of trustee. Mrs. Lydia Srope departed 
this life September 11, 1871. Mr. Srope married 
Mary (Bowlby) Anderson December 9, 1875. 
There are no children by this marriage. 



— — v~ i »>S-il *• bCj; •■>£■! « — 5 



61 EBERT H. RITTENHOUSE succeeded to 
LA the responsible position of cashier of the 
/ I Hunterdon County National Bank in Flem- 
ington on New Year's day, 1895, his predecessor 
having been the well-known John B. Hopewell, 
who had occupied the post for three decades and 
is represented elsewhere in this volume. The 
subject of this article has had wide and varied 
experience as a business man and financier, and is 
pre-eminently the man for the place he holds. 
He stands as high in the ranks of the Masonic 
order here as he does in the business community. 
He is past master of the blue lodge, was a char- 
ter member of the chapter in Clinton, and the 
first high priest of the same and also belongs to 
the commandery and to the Royal Arcanum. In 
his political faith he adheres to the Democratic 
party, to which his father also gives allegiance. 

That worthy citizen of this county, John P. 
Rittenhouse, was born on a farm about six miles 
west of Flemington, May 17, 1820. His father, 
Samuel, was born within ten miles of the same 
place in 1765 and died in 1852. The family dates 
back to the early settlement of this region and 
has been very influential in the upbuilding and 



improvement of this locality. The Samuel re- 
ferred to was a boy at the time that the Revo- 
lutionary war was in progress, and, as his father, 
Isaac, kept the inn then, as now, known as the 
Rittenhouse Hotel, Washington and some of his 
officers were entertained there at one time. The 
great general gave the lad, grandfather of our 
subject, a "hard dollar," which was kept in the 
family until recently, when it was unfortunately 
lost. 

In early life John P. Rittenhouse was a school 
teacher, and also learned the harness-maker's 
trade. Then, for a time, he engaged in farming, 
but in 1849, when the "gold-fever" broke out, he 
was one of the first to be infected, and as he had 
not sufficient means to get to the Pacific coast, he 
was in despair. Through a friend he at length 
made arrangements to ship on the schooner 
Olivia bound for California with a cargo of 
supplies for the miners. He took a tenth interest 
in the cargo, and when they finally reached San 
Francisco and trouble rose among the parties in- 
terested, he and one or two friends bought the 
whole outfit, and sold it in Sacramento at a good 
profit. About a year of life in the west was suf- 
ficient for him and he returned home, to devote 
himself once more to agriculture. In 1856 and 
1857 he was a member of the New Jersey legis- 
lature, and in 1858 was appointed inspector in 
the custom house in New York. In 1866 he 
engaged in the hotel business and two years 
later was made deputy sheriff of Hunterdon 
County, and in 1871 was elected sheriff, which 
office he held acceptably three years. In 1881 
he purchased a hotel in Ringoes, and carried it 
on until 189 1, when he retired from active 
business. 

In 1845 John P. Rittenhouse married Susan 
Ann Hoffman, who died in 1888, and left three 
children. Hawley O., born in 185 1, passed the 
required examination for entrance into the United 
States navy when he was but fifteen, and is now 
on the United States man-of-war Baltimore in 
Japanese waters. The youngest son, Claude D., 
is in the drug business in Wahpeton, the county- 
seat of Richland County, N. D. 



2QO 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



A. H. Rittenhouse was born near Flemington, 
February 26, 1854. In youth he went to New 
York City, where he was employed in a wholesale 
dry-goods store four years. Returning at the ex- 
piration of that period he was for six years in the 
employ of W. H. Fulper and then became teller 
in the Clinton (N. J.) National Bank. He occu- 
pied that position seven years, and then entered 
into partnership under the firm name of Hall, 
Trewin & Rittenhouse, and purchased the mer- 
cantile establishment of the late William H. Ful- 
per, where he had formerly been a clerk. Five 
years later he withdrew from the firm, and turned 
his attention to the wholesale produce and com- 
mission business for three years. The past three 
years he has been the cashier of the bank. In 
1879 he married Mary, daughter of Alexander 
Risler, of Elizabeth, N. J. They have had three 
children: Hawley H., Alberta, and one who died 
in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Rittenhouse are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church. 



G] NDREW B. ROBERSON, a very successful 
t_l farmer of Kingwood Township, has resided 
/ 1 in the vicinity of Baptistown during his 
whole life, and has been numbered among the 
most thrifty agriculturists of Hunterdon County 
since he embarked in his independent career. He 
makes a specialty of dairy farming, is wise and 
judicious in his investments and business ventures, 
and is rapidly advancing towards assured pros- 
perity . 

A man who was prominent in the affairs of his 
community and particularly in the church was the 
father of our subject, Daniel B. Roberson. He 
was a native of Kingwood Township, and was 
one of the leading farmers of the same, and an 
extensive owner of finely improved land . He be- 
came very well-off and influential, being con- 
sidered one of the leading financiers of his county. 



In political affairs he was very active and aggres- 
sive, and did much to advance the interests of the 
Republican party, to the principles of which he was 
devoted. For nearly half a century he was a 
member of the Baptist Church, and for years was 
deacon. The cause of Christianity was very dear 
to him, and in every possible manner he sought 
to aid in its triumph. He lived to the good old 
age of seventy-six years, and died, regretted by a 
host of sincere friends whom he had bound to him- 
self by a thousand acts of kindly sympathy. His 
was a character which comprised all that goes to 
make up a noble, honest, upright man. He was 
a son of Francis Roberson, who was also a native 
of this township. He was a successful farmer 
and was the proprietor of large tracts of land. 
He was affiliated with the Whig party, and was a 
member of the Baptist Church. His was a long 
and useful life, as death claimed him only when 
he was in his ninety-fourth year. 

The mother of our subject was a Miss Jane 
Reading in her girlhood, she being a daughter of 
John Reading. By her marriage she became the 
mother of eight children, two of whom are de- 
ceased. The others are: Eliza, wife of Watson 
Dalrymple; Andrew B.; Etta, wife of Augustus 
Greene; Edward; Martha, wife of A. Tintsman; 
and Abel, a farmer of this district. Watson Rober- 
son, the only survivor of the family of Francis 
Roberson, is a resident of Doylestown, Pa. 

Andrew B. Roberson was born on the old home- 
stead in 1 85 1, and early acquired knowledge of 
farming in all its details. When he was twenty- 
four years of age he left home to make his own 
independent livelihood. He removed to a farm 
owned by his father, and this he afterwards pur- 
chased. He has seventy-eight acres in the home 
tract and twenty acres situated in another farm. 
Like his revered father he is always greatly con- 
cerned in the promotion of all public enterprises 
and is a stanch Republican. 

In 1875 Mr. Roberson married Augusta Martin, 
daughter James C. and Clarissa (Duckworth) 
Martin. They have two living children: George 
M. and Markley L. The family are identified 
with the Baptist Church, as the Robersons have 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



291 



been for many generations. Our subject is a 
member of the Junior Order of American Mechan- 
ics and belongs to the Oak Grove Grangers 
Association. 



3 AMES ASHCROFT, of Kingwood Township, 
Hunterdon County, is a descendant of Eng- 
lish ancestors. His father, after whom he 
was named, was born near Manchester, England, 
in 1804, and married Sarah, daughter of William 
Irlam. In 1838 he crossed the Atlantic to Amer- 
ica and subsequently was joined by his family, 
they making their home first near Philadelphia 
and later near Doylestown, Pa. In 1858 they 
settled upon the farm now owned and occupied by 
Hiram Rittenhouse and known as Ashcroft's Cor- 
ner, in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County. 
On that place the wife and mother died in April, 
1867, and here also his death occurred in May, 
1876. They were the parents of eleven children, 
namely: John, Alice, William, Arenia, Richard, 
James, Alfred, Samuel E., Sarah A., Edwin and 
Jennie. 

The eldest son, John, did not accompany the 
family to America, but remained with his grand- 
mother in England until he was twenty-one years 
of age. He then left England on a vessel bound 
for Australia, but was never heard from after he 
embarked on the ship at Liverpool. William mar- 
ried Sarah A. Philkill, daughter of Ben Philkill, 
and they have two children, a son and daughter. 
Arenia married Sylvester Burket, by whom she 
had a son and daughter; and after the death of her 
first husband she became the wife of John Fulper. 
Richard married Mary J. Rittenhouse, daughter 
of Garner Rittenhouse, and they have a son and 
daughter. Alfred chose as his wife Sophia Cher- 
ry, daughter of Thomas Cherry; they have no 
children. Samuel E. died in 1863, at the age of 
seventeen years. Sarah A. became the wife of 
Hiram Rittenhouse, son of Garner Rittenhouse, 



and they have one son living. Edwin married 
Ann, daughter of Aaron Dalrymple; they have no 
children. Alice and Jennie died in infancy. 

During the residence of his parents near Doyles- 
town, Pa., the subject of this sketch was born in 
1842. He was sixteen when he came to New 
Jersey and afterward he continued to reside at 
home until his father's death. In 1878 he bought 
his present farm, where he has since been success- 
ful as a general farmer. He has been active in 
local affairs and is stanch in his allegiance to the 
Republican party, upon which ticket he has been 
candidate for assessor, collector and committee- 
man. Interested in educational matters, he ad- 
vanced the welfare of the local schools during his 
service for several terms as a member of the school 
board. 

The marriage of Mr. Ashcroft united him with 
Susan R. Burd, daughter of John S. and Sarah 
(Hoff) Burd, and granddaughter of William Hoff. 
They have an only son, J. Wilford. The family 
are identified with the Presbyterian Church, in 
the work of which Mr. Ashcroft is interested. 
Fraternally he is a member of Done Star 
Dodge, Shepherds of Bethlehem, at Frenchtown. 



~~ DWARD WARNE, who is a prosperous far- 
>) mer of Kingwood Township, Hunterdon 
_ County, was born in Broadway, Warren 
County, this state, November 5, 1848, and is a 
son of Daniel Warne, a resident of Baptistown. 
When he was seven years of age he accompanied 
his father in his removal from Warren County to 
Pennsylvania, where he spent the ensuing three 
years. Afterward, for three years, the family re- 
sided in Fauquier County, Va., and then spent a 
similar period near Washington, N. J. Coming 
to Hunterdon County in 1866, this has since been 
the family home. 

When a young man the subject of this sketch 
learned the trade of a carpenter and this occupa- 



292 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tion he followed for a number of years. In 1882 
he bought the Thomas Slater farm in Kingwood 
Township and upon its fifty- five acres he has since 
engaged in dairying and general farming. A 
thoughtful man, interested in all the questions of 
the age and well informed concerning public af- 
fairs, he has formed decided opinions concerning 
national issues. Realizing the grave danger to 
the nation of the increasing use of intoxicants by 
its people, he gives his allegiance to the Prohibi- 
tion party. He is a local leader of his party 
and in 1891 was its candidate for the state as- 
sembly. He is an officer in the Baptistown Pro- 
hibition Club and one of its most influential mem- 
bers. Temperance work has always engaged his 
sympatlry and received his earnest attention. 

In 1877 Mr. Warue was united in marriage 
with Josephine R. Dalrymple, daughter of Joseph 
and Margaret Dalrymple. They have no children, 
but a nephew, David C. Warne, makes his home 
with them. The family attend and support the 
Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. and Mrs. 
Warne are members and active workers. 



-i »-3+>^|5l9j+C;«- 



3 AMES W. ALTEMUS & BRO. This 
well-known business firm of Clinton, Hun- 
terdon County, was established here just 
thirty years ago, since which time a generous 
share of the county's patronage has fallen to its 
portion. The firm owns a granite and marble 
yard, and undertakes to furnish the finest monu- 
ments, etc., with the best skill and finest designs 
known in the trade. Nor is the custom of the 
firm confined to this locality, as their orders fre- 
quently are from a distance, and the)' have even 
erected monuments in beautiful Greenwood Ceme- 
tery, Brooklyn, and in other of the celebrated city 
burial places. The Robert Todman memorial 
monument on Atlantic avenue, Greenwood, and 
the Grandin tombstone at Bethlehem church- 
yard, in this county, among many others of note, 



were put up by this firm, and are especially de- 
serving of mention for their acknowledged artistic 
merit. This business was commenced here in 
1868 and ten years later the founder, Herman 
Altemus, admitted his brother J. W. to the firm, 
the style becoming as at present. Their methods 
of doing business are beyond question, and their 
reputation for strictly following out to the letter 
their contracts have won them the confidence and 
respect of the public. 

Herman Altemus, who took the initiative in 
starting this prosperous concern, was born July 
24, 1846, in the town of Clinton, Hunterdon 
County. His parents were Charles W. and Lu- 
anda M. (Moore) Altemus, the former a native 
of Philadelphia, born March 14, 1813, and the 
latter born February 16, 18 19. The father de- 
parted this life January 26, 1883, after having 
survived his faithful wife but a year and a-half, she 
having died July 22, 1881. They lie side by side 
in the cemetery at Bethlehem. The father was a 
tailor by trade, and followed that vocation, in 
connection with keeping a clothing store in Clin- 
ton, for half a century or more. He was an in- 
fluential and highly respected citizen, took an 
active part in local affairs, and was several times 
honored by being elected mayor of the town; besides 
serving as its postmaster some twelve years. Of 
his large family of thirteen children all but two 
lived to maturity, and six of the number are still 
surviving. James W. is the partner of our sub- 
ject, Herman; Mary is the wife of Theodore 
Swarer, of Clinton; William is a resident of Tren- 
ton; Walter is a merchant of Knowlton, La., and 
David is engaged in business in Plaquemine, La. 

The early years of Herman Altemus were spent 
uneventfully in his native town, he attending the 
public schools as soon as he reached a suitable 
age. He was but sixteen when his ardent pa- 
triotism led him to enlist in the defense of the old 
flag, which he has loyally stood by in peace and 
war. He became a soldier in Company E, Thirty- 
first regiment of New Jersey Volunteers, his su- 
perior officers being Captain Holt and Colonel 
Berthold. He served faithfully for nine months, 
the term of his enlistment, at the expiration of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



293 



which he was honorably discharged. Upon his 
return from the battlefields of the south, he went 
to Easton, Pa. , where he spent five years in learn- 
ing the details of the stone cutting trade. He 
then came back to his native place and opened 
the marble yard with which his name has since 
been associated. He has given his allegiance to 
the Republican party, and has often been selected 
as the standard-bearer of that organization. At 
different times he has been a member of the coun- 
cil and in 1894 was elected to the responsible po- 
sition of assessor of Clinton for a term of three 
years and at the expiration of his first term was 
re-elected for a second. 

February 20, 1868, Mr. Altemus married Mar- 
garet, daughter of Amandus and Lucinda Paul, 
of Easton, Pa. Their union has been blessed with 
four children: John, who is following the same 
trade as his father, in Ouincy, Mass.; Ida, Agnes 
and Raymond, a student in Pennsylvania busi- 
ness college of Easton, Pa. Mr. Altemus is 
identified with the Masonic order, belonging to 
Stewart Eodge No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton, 
and to Clinton Chapter No. 37, R. A. M. He 
has filled all the chairs in both lodges, and is past 
master and past high priest. 



(TOHN C. HAYNES is one of the most enter- 
I prising young farmers of Hunterdon County, 
\ZS and for several years has been especially in- 
terested in the raising of fine thoroughbred 
poultry. In this branch he has won wide celeb- 
rity, as he has taken prizes time and again for 
fowls he has exhibited and is considered to be 
an authority on this subject. In 1891 he was 
awarded the New Jersey special prize for the best 
collection of poultry, and for a number of years 
he has won important prizes in the annual Madi- 
son Square poultry and pigeon shows. He is 
vice-president of the New Jersey Poultry Associa- 
tion, is officially connected with the Garden State 



Association and the American Leghorn Club, the 
American Wyandotte Club and the Game and 
Game Bantam Club of America. 

Joseph A. Haynes, the father of our subject, 
was born in Sussex Count}', N. J., and from his 
youth has been engaged in railroading. For 
many years he was a conductor on the New Jer- 
sey Central Railroad, finally was appointed sta- 
tion agent at Elizabethtown, which post he held 
for five years, and during the past twenty years 
has been located at Plainfield, N. J., as agent 
there. He was married January 3, 1864, to Mary 
C, daughter of John C. Cramer, and of the chil- 
dren born to them who survive, the elder in John 
C. and the other is Sarah C, wife of Francis 
Palmer, a business man of Brooklyn, N. Y. 

John C. Haynes was born in Anuandale, N. J., 
November 4, 1865, and since his early childhood 
he has made his home with his maternal grand- 
father on the farm known as the Anuandale 
Poultry Farm, in Clinton Township. He received 
a good education in the schools of this locality, 
finishing his studies in Plainfield. He has al- 
ways assisted in operating the old homestead 
here, and since he was a mere lad he has been 
interested in the poultry and nursery business. 
In 1885 he established the Annandale Nursery, 
now well known throughout this section of this 
state. He is an enthusiast on the subject of rais- 
ing fine fowls, and he has had as many as thirty 
varieties of standard stock in his yards at one 
time. 

When but twenty-two years of age our subject 
was nominated and elected on the Republican 
ticket to the office of township clerk, his friends 
winning the day, though there was an unusually 
large number of votes polled by the opposition. 
He was re-elected the succeeding year, and in 1895 
was sent as a delegate to the state convention 
which nominated J. W. Griggs for governor. The 
same year he was the choice of his party for as- 
semblyman from this county. In addition to 
managing his regular business affairs Mr. Haynes 
is a popular auctioneer, his services being in great 
demand in all sections of the county, and even in 
adjoining ones. In his social relations he is de- 



294 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



servedly esteemed, his ready and brilliant con- 
versional powers, his genuine courtesy and kind- 
ness of manner making him a great favorite 
wherever he goes. He is district grand chief, 
past chief and has filled other offices in the Order 
of the Knights of the Golden Eagle and is also a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
belonging to Vesper Lodge No. 239, of Lebanon. 
May 8, 1889, Mr. Haynes married Minnie E. 
Bowers, who was born in Somerville, Somerset 
County, April 24, 1868. Her parents are Jacob 
F. and Josephine (Meyers) Bowers. To the mar- 
riage of Mr. and Mrs. Haynes a little daughter, 
Lulu C, has been born. They are both members 
of the Reformed Church of Auuandale. 



30HN INGHAM. During the long period of 
thirty-five years this citizen, whose death 
occurred July 21, 1892, was one of the sub- 
stantial and enterprising business men of Phillips- 
burg, Warren County. For more than a score of 
years he was the efficient and trusted superin- 
tendent of the Warren Foundry, and largely to 
his energy, skill and business methods are due 
the success of this establishment, as he firmly 
fixed their reputation for reliability and excel- 
lence of work turned out of their plant. He won 
the esteem and genuine regard of those who were 
under his supervision, as well as the confidence 
and good will of his superiors. 

In tracing the history of John Ingham one is 
struck with the manly, determined character that 
manifested itself in his actions from the time 
that he was a mere boy. He was born at Sower- 
by Bridge, Yorkshire, England, April 17, 1830, 
being one of nine children. His parents, then in 
somewhat straightened circumstances, were com- 
pelled to have their sous enter the world-struggle 
for a livelihood at an early age. Thus, at a time 
when John Ingham should have been attending 
school he was at work in the woolen mills of 



Bradford. The lad was naturally of a mechani- 
cal turn of mind and this quality was developed 
by the studies and experiments which he con- 
stantly pursued. He secured employment in the 
Bowling Iron Works next, with the intention of 
learning the molder's trade, but was soon deterred 
by the rule which he found was in force, that none 
but the sons of iron-molders were permitted to 
learn the trade. He was, however, but fifteen 
when his skill and intelligence led to his being 
placed in charge of a gang of men engaged in the 
handling of heavy castings. 

At the end of two years, seeing that there was 
no prospect of further advancement, the ambitious 
youth thought that he would go to Australia/but, 
as his means were not sufficient to convey him to 
that far-away land, he came to the United States. 
During the tedious voyage of five weeks' duration 
the ship encountered severe storms and the pas- 
sengers suffered greatly, as the hatches were 
closed much of the time, owing to the high seas, 
and ship-fever broke out, resulting in the death 
of several unfortunates each day. The fever so 
greatly dreaded did not overcome young Ingham 
until after he had reached land, but he was soon 
obliged to enter a hospital, remaining there for 
thirteen weeks. At last he was sent out as well, 
but he was still very weak and had but $1 in 
the world. Without friends, in a strange laud, 
the future looked very dark, but he had a brave 
heart and would not submit to defeat. One day 
he met a man who had crossed the Atlantic on 
the same ship and in their conversation this ac- 
quaintance spoke of a friend of his who owned an 
iron foundry in Milford, Pa. Our sturdy young 
hero decided that he would go there and seek 
employment, did so and was successful. At the 
end of a year he removed to Sussex County, N. 
J., where he was employed at a small foundry for 
a few months. Then he worked in Hay's foun- 
dry, on Fourteenth Street, New York City, until 
1857. By this time he had become a skilled 
mechanic, quick aud active, aud was ready for 
a position requiring larger abilities of both mind 
and workmanship. In March, 1857, ne came to 
Phillipsburg, and contracted to complete a pipe 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



295 



contract which the Warren Foundry was engaged 
in making for the city of Washington. He was 
so successful in this and other contracts that the 
directors, on February 13, 1871, elected Mr. 
Ingham to succeed John F. Ward as superintend- 
ent, which office he held up to the time of his 
death. 

From the day that he located in Phillipsburg 
until he was summoned to the silent land, Mr. 
Ingham was thoroughly interested in the devel- 
opment and welfare of this city. He was an earn- 
est supporter of the Republican party from the 
birth of the organization. Years ago he served 
as a school trustee and as a member of the town 
council. He was a regular attendant of the Main 
Street Methodist Episcopal Church and substan- 
tially aided in its maintenance. He was not a 
member of the church, although he was an active 
trustee of the board for several years. He was 
a true friend to the poor and needy and in the 
hearts of many a citizen here his memory is 
cherished for the unostentatious good that he 
was constantly doing. He left a wife and four 
children and two sisters who are still in England. 
He was married to Isabella McKane and to them 
were born three daughters and one son, viz.: 
Mary, wife of Isaac Z. Hamlin; Mrs. Emma 
Spettigue, widow of William R. Spettigue; Miss 
Bella and James, all residents of Phillipsburg. 
James is assistant superintendent of the Warren 
Foundry and Machine Company. 



[""RANK P. BUNNELL, has been numbered 
r3 among the successful merchants of Blairs- 
| town for over twenty years. He has been 
quite active in the support of local affairs of bene- 
fit to the community and has officiated in the ca- 
pacity of town clerk for three years and during a 
period of similar length of time was collector. A 
charter member of Blairstown Hose Company No. 1 
he has been treasurer of the same several years. 



In brief, he takes commendable interest in all that 
tends toward the advancement of the welfare of 
the place and people. 

The birth of Frank P. Bunnell took place upon 
his father's large homestead near Wallpack, Sus- 
sex County, April 25, 1853. Until he was twen- 
ty years of age he remained at home assisting on 
the farm and during the winter terms attending 
the local schools. His education was finished in 
Blair Hall, where he pursued the higher branches 
of stud}'. He then began clerking in the general 
dry-goods store of Theodore F. Margarum, of 
Newton. Later he spent five months in Waverly, 
N. Y., and in the fall of 1874 he came to Blairs- 
town. Here for eighteen months he clerked in a 
general store. In 1876 he embarked in business 
on his own account by buying out a confectionery 
store, and this he has conducted successfully up 
to the present time. During this period he has 
enlarged the scope of his business, adding a de- 
partment of gentlemen's furnishing goods and 
general notions. He owns the property on which 
the store stands and enjoys the patronage of our 
best citizens in his particular lines. 

In 188 1 Mr. Bunnell married Ella M. Cham- 
berlin, a daughter of George M. Chamberlin, of 
Easton, Pa. Two sons were born to them, 
George David and Clarence C. In October, 1897, 
the parents met with a sad loss in the death of 
their son Clarence, then in his seventeenth year. 

Mr. Bunnell is a Democrat. Fraternally he is 
identified with the Red Men and is keeper of the 
wampum in the home tribe. He is a trustee of 
the Presbyterian Church, of which congregation 
his wife and son are also members. For the past 
two years he has been the president of the Young 
People's Society of Christian Endeavor and in 
every department of church activity and useful- 
ness he is deeply interested. 

The parents of the above-named gentleman 
were David and Catherine Decker (Smith) Bun- 
nell. The father was born on the old farm once 
owned by his grandfather near Wallpack, Sussex 
County, in 1806. On this homestead he contin- 
ued to dwell until up to the last three years of his 
life, spending the balance of his life with his chil- 



296 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dren. He was au influential farmer when in his 
prime, and in addition to being the owner of val- 
uable farms in Sussex County he had others in 
Illinois and New York. In political matters he 
was a Democrat. For over half a century he was 
an elder in the Wallpack Reformed Church and 
very zealous in the work of the same. Death 
closed his earthly career in February, 1894, when 
he was eighty-eight years of age. He married in 
1 83 1 and eleven children blessed his union. The 
mother died in 1891, at the ripe age of fourscore 
years. Of their five surviving children Henry 
resides in Waverly, N. Y. ; Mary is the widow of 
George C. Stull; J. W. lives in Wallpack; Mar- 
tha J. is the wife of John Young, of Tri States, 
N. Y. , and F. P. is the subject of this article. 



(7JTEWART TERRIBERRY, a member of the 
7\ firm of Reeves & Terriberry, dealers in lum- 
\~J ber and building material in Clinton, Hun- 
terdon Count}', is one of the most respected citi- 
zens of this thriving town. He has always been 
an earnest and active worker in the promotion 
of the best interests of the place, and from time 
to time he has held official positions of responsi- 
bility and honor to the entire satisfaction of his 
friends and neighbors. He stands high in the 
estimation of all who have the pleasure of his 
acquaintance, ranking equally well in the business, 
social and church circles of this community. 

The family name of our subject was materially 
changed by the preceding generation, it having 
been originally Durnburger. Jacob Durnburger, 
the paternal grandfather of the gentleman of whom 
we write, was of German parentage. He was a 
farmer by occupation and resided on Schooley's 
Mountain, Morris County, N. J., and there his 
children, who altered the family surname, were 
born. The parents of our subject were Nathan 
and Margaret (Stires) Terriberry, both natives 
of Hunterdon County. The father was a practi- 



cal and prosperous farmer, and accumulated a 
large amount of real estate. He was devoted to 
the work of the Baptist Church of Junction, aided 
in the erection of the present house of worship, 
and gave liberally of his substance to the cause of 
Christianity. He was a man whose life of good 
works and practical philanthropy won him the 
love and high esteem of all with whom his lot 
was cast. He was the father of nine sons and a 
daughter, several of whom lived to maturity and 
have become prominent factors in the various 
communities where they dwell. John, the eldest, 
died in 1888; George is a practicing physician of 
Paterson, N. J.; Jacob died in his youth; Stewart 
is the next in order of birth; Calvin is a noted 
surgeon of Paterson, and has won a truly enviable 
reputation for skill throughout this and adjoining 
states; Whitfield, twin-brother of Calvin, is a 
successful lawyer, whose home is in Plainfield, 
N. J., but whose office is in New York City; 
W. Judson left home soon after the war and is 
the master mechanic of the Union Pacific Railroad 
Company, his home being in Denver, Colo.; An- 
drew M. is a merchant of Somerville, N. J. ; 
Catherine, widow of Willis Hunt, of Plainfield, is 
now keeping house for her brother Whitfield, who 
is a bachelor; Alfred, who died at the age of nine- 
teen years, was a student in Pennington Univer- 
sity, where he contracted a fever which resulted 
fatally. 

Stewart Terriberry was born December 7, 1845, 
in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, and 
grew to manhood under the loving and uplifting 
influences of a good home. He attended the pub- 
lic schools of that locality, and was about tweuly 
when he accepted a position as assistant agent at 
Junction, with the Central Railroad of New Jersey. 
Two years later he was advanced in the service 
and for a number of years was conductor on 
freight trains. The last seven years of his em- 
ployment with the railroad he was a conductor on 
a passenger train, his run being at first from 
Hampton to Elizabeth and Bergen Port and later 
(after the construction of the High Bridge branch) 
he ran from Phillipsburg to Port Oram and 
Rockaway. In 1S88 he severed his connection 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



297 



with the company and went into partnership with 
John C. Reeves in the lumber business. The 
yard which they established in Clinton was the 
first one of any importance here, and the business 
has steadily grown until it is one of the most 
flourishing concerns in this vicinity. 

Mr. Terriberry is a pronounced Republican in 
his political views. He has officiated in several 
of the leading positions in Lebanon Lodge No. 6, 
F. & A. M., of Glen Gardner, and is a charter 
member of that bod}'. December 12, 1871, he 
married Grace, daughter of John and Julia (Phil- 
lips) Crater, of this count}'. They have two 
promising sons: Nathan S., employed by the Ar- 
mour Packing Company, of New Bedford, Mass., 
and Joseph F. , with the great department store of 
Hahne & Co., of Newark, N. J. 



"DWARD THOMAS, one ofMilford's most 
'p prominent and influential citizens, was born 
_ „ in New Hope, Pa., December 13, 1830. He 
was the son of Mordecai and Grace Thomas. His 
parents moved from Bristol, Pa., to Milford, N. J., 
when he was thirteen years of age, and from that 
period until the time of his death he resided in 
his mansion, beautifully situated on the Delaware 
River, and once occupied by ex-governor Ludlow, 
Daniel Van Syckel, Samuel Parry and Mordecai 
Thomas. 

Edward Thomas formed a co-partnership in the 
milling business January 12, 1852, with his 
brother Wilson Thomas, which continued more 
than forty years, and was dissolved by mutual 
consent January 16, 1893. The firm also owned 
a coal and lumber business in connection with the 
manufacture of flour. 

Mr. Thomas was a successful business man, a 
person of excellent natural and acquired abilities 
and his word was always considered as good as 
his bond. He was by birth a member of the So- 
ciety of Friends, and in his last illness gave a 



most beautiful testimony to his faith in the Lord 
Jesus Christ. In 1857 ne married Virginia Van 
Syckel, daughter of Daniel Van Syckel and Mary 
Carhart, his wife. He is survived by his wife and 
four children: Isabella, married to Rev. Horace 
D. Sassaman; Frances, married to Dr. Thomas 
Craig Detwiller, of Lancaster, Pa.; Howard Van 
Syckel Thomas, of Buffalo, N. Y., and Susan 
Spencer Thomas. Mr. Thomas died May 8, 1896. 



(TjEYMOUR R. SMITH, president of the 
?\ Hackettstown National Bank, has been of- 
\~J ficially connected with this reliable banking 
institution for the past twenty-two years and is a 
prominent business man of Hackettstown. He 
enjoys the friendship of a large circle, both here 
and in Sussex, his native county, where he has 
spent a portion of each year for many years, hav- 
ing a beautiful summer home in the pretty town 
of Waterloo. In numerous local industries he 
has been actively interested, and at present is the 
president of the Mutual Fire Insurance Company 
of Hackettstown and is a director in the City 
Electric Light Company. 

Peter Smith, father of our subject, was born in 
Morris County, N. J., but removed to Waterloo, 
Sussex County, when in early manhood. There 
he engaged in mercantile pursuits, was concerned 
in an iron manufactory and also carried on a farm 
for years. Entirely self-made in a business sense, 
he achieved success and won the high regard of 
all who knew him. For a long period he was a 
member of the board of freeholders and from 1861 
to 1864 was in the state senate, having been 
elected on the Democratic ticket by the largest 
majority ever received by any man in his county. 
One of the original promoters and directors in the 
Hackettstown National Bank, which was incor- 
porated April 3, 1855, ne was appointed president 
of the institution upon the death of Mr. Rea in 
1864, and from that time until his death, in 1877, 



298 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



(at the age of sixty-eight years) he continued to 
serve in that eapacit}\ When he was a young 
man he united with the Methodist Church, and 
was very active in the same until a short time be- 
fore he died. His father, John Smith, was gen- 
eral of a troop of the home militia in Sussex 
County. He was a farmer, iron merchant and 
general business man. In politics he was a 
Democrat, and in religion a Methodist. He died 
in 1859, aged eighty-four years. 

The wife of Peter Smith was Maria Johnson in 
her girlhood. She is also a native of Sussex 
County, and though now in her eighty-eighth 
year is quite active in mind and body. Like her 
husband, she is a faithful member of the Method- 
ist Church. Of their children we note the fol- 
lowing: John died when fourteen years old; Sam- 
uel T. is a leading citizen of Waterloo, N. J. , now 
retired from business cares; Matilda is the wife of 
O. R. Van Doren, of Newark, N. J.; Caroline, 
who died in 1875, at the age of thirty-three years, 
was the wife of Harvey Cook, of New York; 
Peter D. makes his home in Waterloo, N. J.; our 
subject is the next in order of birth; Nathan A. is 
living at Newark, N. J. ; the youngest died in in- 
fancy. Samuel T. is vice-president of the Wash- 
ington (N. J.) National Bank; was a member of 
the state senate from 1873 to 1876 and served as 
judge of Sussex County for two terms, or ten 
years. Peter D., also a prominent citizen of 
Waterloo, is vice-president of the Waterloo Ice 
Company and was a senator from Sussex County, 
from 1888 to 1 89 1. 

S. R. Smith was born August 14, 1847, in 
Waterloo, N. J., and received his higher educa- 
tion in Pennington and Rutgers College, gradu- 
ating from the last-named institution in 1868 
with the fourth honor of his class of twenty-one 
members. Soon afterwards he entered into busi- 
ness with his elder brothers, Samuel T. and Peter 
D. , under the firm name of Smith Brothers. They 
were the proprietors of a grist and sawmill which 
the)' carried on in connection with a general store 
until they closed out their interest in 1S91. Ow- 
ing to his father's declining health, he was made 
vice-president of the Hackettstown National Bank 



in 1876, and served as such until 1S90, when he 
became the president of the same. He is a stanch 
Democrat. Fraternally he belongs to Indepen- 
dent Lodge No. 42, F. &A. M., of Hackettstown. 
In 1873 he married Miss Charlotte E. Snover, 
who was a native of the same place as himself. 
They have one son, Peter L. , who is now attend- 
ing school. 



q) FORGE W. KUGLER resides upon the old 
„ family homestead in Kingwood Township, 
J Hunterdon County, where he was born in 
1846. Purchasing the property in 1879, he set- 
tled upon it in the spring of the following 3'ear 
and has since engaged in its cultivation. While 
he raises the various cereals his specialty has been 
the raising of fruit, and upon his place he has a 
large number of trees, comprising the principal 
varieties of fruits. The homestead consists of 
one hundred and six acres and bears a full 
equipment of substantial farm buildings. In ad- 
dition to this property he owns thirty acres near 
by. 

Upon this place in 181 1 the father of our sub- 
ject, Samuel R. Kugler, began his connection 
with human activities. The greater part of his 
life was passed here engaged in farm pursuits and 
he was one of the leading and most prosperous 
farmers in his locality. Politically he was a Dem- 
ocrat, not active in public affairs, but stanch in 
his allegiance to the principles he professed. His 
death occurred in 1879, when he was sixty-eight 
years of age. He was a son of John Kugler, to 
whom reference is made in the sketch of Judge 
John Kugler upon another page. 

The mother of our subject was Eliza, daughter 
of Edward and Betsy Rittenhouse. She was an 
active member of the Baptist Church and died at 
the age of seventy-eight. Of her nine children 
five are now living, namely: Hannah, who is the 
widow of Stacey Risler; Elizabeth, widow of Sam- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



299 



uel B. Johnson; George W. ; Anderson B., who 
lives in South Carolina; and Theodore, who lives 
in Kingwood Township. With the exception of 
five years spent upon a farm near Locktown the 
entire life of our subject has been passed upon the 
homestead where he was born. Farming has been 
his life work and in it he has met with success, 
being considered one of the efficient and energetic 
agriculturists of the township. 

In political belief Mr. Kugler is a Democrat, 
firm in his allegiance to the party of his choice. 
For six years he held the office of committeeman 
of Kingwood Township and for four years he 
served as a member of the school board. He at- 
tends the Baptist Church and his wife is one of 
its active workers. All matters tending to pro- 
mote the welfare of the people receive his support 
and he is classed among the public-spirited citi- 
zens of the township. In 1875 he married Miss 
Emma E. Bodine, daughter of William aud Mary 
(Bellis) Bodine. The three children born of their 
union are named William Harvey, Mary E. and 
Addie. 



P^AUL C. LARUE, of Baptistown, Hunterdon 
L/' County. The family of which this gen- 
K-' tleman is an honored representative was 
founded in America during the seventeenth cen- 
tury, when several persons bearing the name of 
Larou (as it was then spelled) crossed the 
Atlantic, settling in northern New Jersey and 
southern New York. Afterward one family re- 
moved to Virginia and another to the Ohio River, 
purchasing land on what is now the site of Louis- 
ville, Ky. The family originated in France, and 
was of the Huguenot faith, its members sharing 
in the great conflict for religious toleration that 
made the seventeenth century memorable in the 
history of the ages. They were persecuted on 
account of their faith, and were often in peril of 
their lives, but with unwavering courage clung 
to the faith they had espoused. 



The great-grandfather of our subject, Abraham 
Larue, was a son, it is thought, of the founder of 
the family in America. He owned a farm near 
Sergeantsville, in Delaware Township, Hunter- 
don County, his place being in later years known 
as the Lee farm. By his wife, Mary, he had a 
son, Uriah Larue, who married Permelia Gordon, 
of Delaware Township, and with her removed to 
Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, about 
the year 1802, purchasing the farm now owned 
by William Dubon and others. Here during the 
summer months he engaged in farming and car- 
pentering, while in the winter months he con- 
structed fanning mills for the farmers of the 
neighborhood. After a short time he purchased 
a farm near King's Mills, now owned by Ash 
Butler. About 18 12 he also bought the farm 
now owned by Mr. Clawson, in Readington Town- 
ship, but when preparing to remove to this place 
he was taken ill with typhoid fever and soon 
died. His widow aud children then settled upon 
the Readington farm, which the oldest son, 
Gordon, with the aid of the other members of the 
family, carried on for a number of years. 

The family of Uriah Larue consisted of four 
sons and three daughters, all deceased, namely: 
Amy, Thomas, Gordon, Franklin, Elisha, Mary, 
Ann and Ura. The eldest, Amy, married Tunis 
Cole, of Readington, both now deceased, leaving 
no children. When a boy Thomas fell on the 
ice and sustained injuries that resulted in his 
death. Franklin married Mary Kiney, of Read- 
ington Township, and removed to Ohio, but 
later returned to New Jersey and died at French- 
town. The children of Franklin were: Thomas 
G., who died unmarried; Amy Ann, who is the 
wife of Barton Carkuff of Coal City, 111.; and 
Maggie, who married Andrew Van Wicklin, of 
Brooklyn, N. Y., but both are now deceased. 
Elisha, the fourth son of Uriah, married Mary 
Sharp, of Readington, and had five children; he 
and his wife are deceased. Their children are 
named as follows: Hannah, wife of Abraham 
Creagar, of Anuandale, Hunterdon County; 
Thomas, who married a Miss Cronce and resides 
at Freuchtown; Baker, who is married and lives 



300 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Delaware; Anna, wife of John Smith, of Read- 
ington Township; and Mary, deceased wife of 
David Cole, of Readington. Mary Ann, daughter 
of Uriah Larue, died at Frenchtown, N. J., where 
the youngest child, Ura, also passed away. 

Of the sons of Uriah, Gordon was the eldest 
who survived to mature years. He was born in 
Delaware Township in 1S00, was a farmer by 
occupation, and died November 18, 1871, on the 
farm now owned by William Dubon in Franklin 
Township. His wife, who was Anna Cole, of 
Readington, was born in that township Novem- 
ber 22, 1801, and died January 9, 1879. In 
religious faith both were identified with the 
Dutch Reformed Church. They were the parents 
of four sons and one daughter: Uriah,. T. G. 
G. W. , Elisha L-, Paul C, and Sarah, who died 
in infancy. Uriah married Aniy Burd; their 
only son, Elisha Gordon Larue, died unmarried. 
T. G. G. W. married Susan Fritts, of Clinton 
Township, and they had two sons, the elder of 
whom died in infancy, and one daughter, Anna, 
who married David Sharp, a farmer of Lebanon. 
The surviving son, William A. , married Laura 
Strobel, of Sussex County, and resides in Easton, 
Pa., where he is engaged in the laundry business. 
T. G. G. W. and his wife are Presbyterians, 
while his brother Uriah and his family are Bap- 
tists. Elisha L. , the third brother of our sub- 
ject, married Helen Smith, of Clinton Township, 
who, like himself, was identified with the Meth- 
odist Church. They died, leaving two sons: 
Mahlon G., a fireman in Keyport, N. J.; and 
T. G. G. W., now of Trenton, N. J., where he 
is engaged in the bakery business. 

The subject of this sketch, who was the young- 
est of his father's sons, was born in Franklin 
Township in 1839. At the age of eighteen he 
began to learn the carpenter's trade, but farming 
has been his principal occupation in life. From 
1861 until 1889 he resided on a farm purchased 
from his father-in-law, but in the latter year he 
came to Baptistown, where he has since lived re- 
tired. He is the owner of three farms that aggre- 
gate about three hundred and fifteen acres. Fra- 
ternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows 



and the Patrons of Husbandry, while in religious 
belief he and his family are Baptists. In 1861 he 
married Mary E. Hoff, of Kingwood Township. 
Two children blessed their union. The son, 
John G. , who resides upon a farm owned by his 
father and situated two miles east of Baptistown, 
is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the 
Baptist Church. By his marriage to Anna 
Chamberlain he has one child, Blanche. Our 
subject's daughter, Anna J., married Levi Bar- 
ron, of Bucks County, Pa., but now residing on 
his father-in-law's farm at Baptistown. They 
have one child, Ethel. 



-••>»•• ; : Q^; £<-.•- ~s— : 



WILLIAM W. FISHER is a land-owner and 
substantial business man of East Amwell 
Township, Hunterdon County, and has 
spent his whole life in this immediate vicinity. 
In everything pertaining to the upbuilding and 
development of the resources of this locality he 
has taken an active interest, doing his full share 
as a citizen. He is a member of the Grange and 
in the past held various offices of minor import- 
ance here, such as township committeeman, etc. 
In his political convictions he is a Republican. 

The Fisher fainily, of which our subject is a 
most sterling representative, has long been asso- 
ciated with the history of this portion of Hunter- 
don County. The great-great-grandfather of the 
above was one Peter Fisher, a native of German} - , 
who came to America and settled permanently in 
this count}-, where many of his descendants have 
since dwelt. His sou William was born in what 
is now known as West Amwell Township, as was 
also William's son William, the latter being the 
father of our subject. The latter' s mother bore 
the maiden name of Mary Dilts. To her mar- 
riage two children were born; William W. , of this 
sketch, and Mary, who married Theodore Young 
and died in 1844. William Fisher, Sr. , was born 




WILLIAM SfTPHIN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



303 



in 1798 and departed this life in 1870. The farm 
which he owned and carried on during his life- 
time was purchased by his father about 1830. 

William W. Fisher was born in that part of old 
Amwell Township now called Delaware Town- 
ship, March 23, 1824. When he was about three 
years old his parents removed to East Amwell 
Township and in 1833 the family settled on the 
farm which our subject has since been interested 
in managing, wholly or in partnership with his 
father. Most of the improvements 011 this home- 
stead he has assisted in making and many of them 
were entirely his own undertaking. He owns 
one hundred and forty-eight acres comprised 
within his home farm and another valuable place 
of eighty-four acres. His education was acquired 
in the district schools and in the more difficult 
school of life, and he is to-day a man of general 
information. For twenty years he has been an 
elder in the United First Presbyterian Church and 
for many more years has been connected with the 
same congregation as a member. He was one of 
the organizers and for a time a director of the 
Flemington National Bank. 

In 1853 Mr. Fisher married Miss Sarah E. 
Laning, of Delaware Township. She faithfully 
shared his joys and sorrows and cheered and com- 
forted him along the highway of life until her 
death, March 20, 1894. They have had two chil- 
dren: Martha, who died when fourteen years of 
age, and Mar}', who became the wife of Joseph 
Van Marter and is the mother of four children: 
Joseph W., who died in infancy; Sarah, William 
and Alice. 



(ILLIAM SUTPHIN, a highly respected 
citizen of Ringoes, and now living retired 
from business cares, has j ustly earned his 
present quiet and comfort by a past of industry 
and enterprising effort. That each person who 
strives to do his duty and earn his own livelihood 
occupies a position in the busy world as honor- 



able as that occupied by any other bread-winner 
is now a generally accepted fact in America, and 
he who has tilled, improved and increased in 
value a tract of land has done much for his own 
and succeeding generations. Our subject may 
lay claim to having done this, and not only 
this, but has never neglected to do his duty as a 
citizen of this commonwealth in supporting law 
and order and the general good of the neighbor- 
hood in which his lot was cast. 

A native of East Amw T ell Township, Hunter- 
don County, William Sutphin was born on a 
farm near Wertsville, October 21, 182 1. He is a 
son of Arthur, a native of the same township, 
and grandson of Derrick Sutphin. The mother 
of our subject was Mary Cox in her girlhood. 
By her marriage she became the mother of 
twelve children, nine of the number surviving to 
mature years. In order of birth they are as fol- 
lows: Derrick, Edward, Joseph C, Ann, William, 
Lewis, Mary, Sarah and Jacob. Lewis and Will- 
iam are the only members of the large family 
circle living to-day, and the former carries on the 
old homestead at Wertsville. 

Until he was thirty-five years old, William 
Sutphin continued to live with his parents, but 
from the time that he attained his majority he 
was engaged in carpentering. He then pur- 
chasd a farm of eighty acres not far distant from 
his old home, and cultivated and improved the 
place from 1851 to 1876. He sold out in the 
year last named and bought a valuable farm of 
one hundred and thirty acres near Ringoes. 
Many substantial changes for the better were in- 
stituted by him during his residence there, a 
period of some eight years, and in 1884 he came 
to live permanently in the town of Ringoes. In 
1876 and 1877 he was a freeholder of East Amwell 
Township, and in political affairs he is a Repub- 
lican. Religiously he is a Presbyterian, belong- 
ing to the Ringoes church of that denomination. 

March 10, 1S55, Mr. Sutphin was first mar- 
ried, the lad}- of his choice being Charity 
Chamberlin. They had no children, and in 1S63 
the wife died. Subsequently, in 1S68, our sub- 
ject married the lady who now bears his name 



3<H 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and who was then Catherine Davis. The elder 
child of their union, Annie C. , is the wife of 
Howard Dilts, and the younger, Milton, is an en- 
terprising young agriculturist and resides on the 
farm owned by the senior Sutphin in East Am- 
well Township. 



"HEODORE BALDERSTON, D. D. S., is a 
leading member of the dental profession in 
Hunterdon County, and has been occupied 
in the work of his chosen field of enterprise in the 
town of Eambertville for over ten years. He has 
acquired a reputation for thoroughness, skill and 
practical knowledge of dentistry, and richly de- 
serves the large patronage which the people of 
this vicinity give him. Rapid progress has been 
made in the treatment of the teeth and the artistic 
supplanting of those which are useless, and the 
successful practitioner must keep full}' up to the 
wisdom of the times in this branch, perhaps more 
than in any other profession. The public de- 
mands excellent work, and are satisfied with 
nothing but the best, and, realizing this, the sub- 
ject of this article aims to adequately fulfill their 
wishes. He is a great student, takes the leading 
journals published in the interests of dentistry, 
and adds to all wide experience. 

The parents of the doctor were David and Anna 
(Moore) Balderston, natives of Bucks and Lan- 
caster Counties, respectively. The father was a 
farmer, owned a valuable homestead, and was a 
man of considerable importance in his neighbor- 
hood. Until a few years prior to his death he 
was a Republican, later voting for the nominees 
of the Prohibition party. For the long period of 
eighteen years he held the position of supervisor 
of his township, discharging the duties that rested 
upon him with fidelity. Religiously he was a 
Friend. His busy and useful life was brought to 
a close May I, 1895, when he was seventy years 
of age. His wife was a daughter of Jeremiah and 



Elizabeth E. Moore. The five children born to 
David and Anna Balderston were named as fol- 
lows: Walter; Elizabeth M.; Ma}', who died in 
infancy; D. Newlin and Theodore. Walter is 
married and has one child, James. He is a res- 
ident of New Hope, N. J., and is engaged in the 
manufacture of rubber boots. The only sister 
living is now in Langhorne, Pa.; D. N., the 
youngest of the family, was a student in the Will- 
iamson schools of Delaware County, Pa., and 
graduated from there in March, 1896. He is now 
employed in an electrical establishment at Phila- 
delphia. 

Theodore Balderston was born on his father's 
farm in Bucks County, Pa., January 13, 1861, 
and passed his boyhood days there. He was 
given the advantages of a general education, such 
as could be gained in the district school, and con- 
tinued to live at home and assist his father in the 
work of the farm until he was twenty-three years 
old. In addition to this he had been quite suc- 
cessful in his sales of fertilizers to the farmers of 
his region. For two years he was a student in 
the Trenton normal school, and while there con- 
ceived the idea of entering the dental profession. 
Accordingly he went to Philadelphia, and be- 
came enrolled in the Pennsylvania Dental College, 
pursuing the regular routine of work until his 
graduation in 1886. Returning to New Hope, 
Pa., he practiced there for about a year, after 
which he came to Eambertville and opened a 
first-class office. He is kept very busy and is 
doing very well in every point of view. In 1884 
he cast his first presidential ballot for James G. 
Blaine, and since that time has been a loyal 
worker for the Republican party. In Unity 
Lodge No. 300, I. O. O. F., of New Hope, Pa., 
he has filled all the chairs. He is also a member 
of Vashti Lodge No. 190, Daughters of Rebekah, 
to which order his wife belongs. Besides he is a 
Knight of Pythias, a member of Lone Star Lodge 
No. 15, of Eambertville. 

July 2, 1889, Mr. Balderston married Sallie V. 
Smith, of New Hope, Pa. She was born in that 
town November 10, i860, and is a daughter of 
James P, and Hannah (Chamberlain) Smith. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



305 



One child, Reba, born March 18, 1894, brightens 
the home of onr subject and his estimable wife. 
The doctor adheres to the faith of his father, and 
is identified with the Society of Friends. 



(TAMES M. APGAR. No employe of the 
I Central Railroad of New Jersey is more re- 
Q) spected and popular, both with the traveling 
public and with the other railroad men, than is 
this genial and business-like conductor. His run 
is from High Bridge to Hibernia, his home being 
in the first-mentioned town. He has reached his 
present position by absolute merit, having 
worked his way upward and won the approval 
and confidence of his superiors by his strict 
regard for the proper handling of all his duties. 
In general he is quite enterprising, and is an 
earnest believer in the future of the flourishing 
town of High Bridge. In 1896 he erected here 
the fine brick building known as the Apgar 
Block. It is the best structure of the kind in the 
town, it being thoroughly modern and conven- 
ient in every respect; having three stores on the 
first floor, offices and dwelling apartments on 
the next story and a hall 36x52 on the third 
floor. 

A son of Matthias A. and Amanda (Linaberry) 
Apgar, our subject was born in New German- 
town, N. J., February 20, 1852. He is an only 
son and his sister Mary is the wife of William 
Walters, of Dunellen, N. J. The father was a 
native of Hunterdon County, and followed his 
trade of a mechanic and carpenter for mauy years. 
From 1861 to 1870 he was engaged in merchan- 
dising in High Bridge and later kept a store in 
White Hall. Since his death his wife has made 
her home with her son James M. Matthias A. 
Apgar was the third of a family of six sons and 
four daughters, the others being as follows: 
Nathan, deceased; Charity, wife of Euke Swick, 
of New Germantown; Adam, deceased; Cather- 



ine, who is married and lives in Califon; Ben- 
jamin and Frederick, twins; Nicholas, of Leb- 
anon; Emeline, widow of Jacob Thomas and 
Julia, who is married. The father of these chil- 
dren was Adam Apgar, a native of this state, and 
for many years the "village blacksmith" of Cal- 
ifon. 

Until he was nine years of age James M. Apgar 
resided with his parents in New Germantown, 
then removing to High Bridge. He attended 
school here and was only about fourteen years old 
when he commenced working on the steam - 
shovel, when the high grade was being made near 
this place. He then entered upon an apprentice- 
ship at the Taylor Iron & Steel Works, serving 
in different capacities at intervals for seven years. 
In the meantime he was employed for periods in 
his father's store, and when eighteen was for a 
time with Hewes & Philips, of Newark. There 
he started to learn the molder's trade, but gave it 
up on account of illness, and returned to High 
Bridge. 

In 1873 the financial panic caused the Taylor 
Works to shut down and Mr. Apgar was com- 
pelled to look elsewhere for occupation. Going 
where the ore mines were being opened, he found 
employment as a carpenter in the construction of 
the necessary buildings connected with the plant. 
From there he went to White Hall and en- 
tered his father's store. In 1875 he became a 
member of the engineers' corps, in the con- 
struction of High Bridge branch of the Cen- 
tral New Jersey Railroad, and continued with 
the force until the work was completed. On New 
Year's day, 1877, he was offered a position as a 
brakeman with the company, was subsequently 
promoted to be baggage-master, conductor of a 
local freight train and finally was made a regular 
passenger train conductor. As such he has 
served to the satisfaction of all for eight years. 
In his political creed he is independent of party 
restrictions, voting as he deems best under given 
circumstances. Socially he is a member of Ri- 
alto Lodge No. i6r, I. O. O. F., of High Bridge, 
and of Lalhantaug Tribe No. 164, Order of Red 
Men, of High Bridge. 



306 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The first marriage of Mr. Apgar was solem- 
nized February 18, 1879, the lady of his choice 
being Martha J., daughter of Henry Haltman. 
She died May 24, 1880, leaving one child, named 
Jennie M. November 29, 1883, Mr. Apgar was 
united in marriage with Annie F. Burnett, by 
whom he had one son, Grover C. 



ROBERT A. COLE. In every thriving com- 
munity there may be found a certain number 
of substantial, reliable, patriotic citizens, 
who may always be counted upon to uphold the 
laws, to do all in their power to promote the best 
interests of the people and who quietly and unas- 
sumingly "pursue the even tenor of their ways" 
in times of peace. Among such citizens of 
Hackettstown, men who are largely accountable 
for her prosperity and high standing in Warren 
Count}' is the gentleman whose name heads this 
review. 

The parents of our subject are Benjamin and 
Eustatia (Clawsou) Cole, both natives of New 
Jersey, the former of Sussex County and the latter 
of Hackettstown. The father is still living, is 
now about seventy-eight years of age, and is mak- 
ing his home with his son, Robert A. He was a 
blacksmith by trade, and followed that calling 
during the greater part of his active life. His 
loving wife, a lady who was highly esteemed by 
all who knew her, died at the age of seventy-two 
years. 

The birth of Robert A. Cole occurred March 
18, 1846, in this city , and here his early years 
were passed. He was a student in the public 
schools, and later attended Pennington Seminary. 
When he was but seventeen he began clerking in 
a dry -goods store here, but in less than a year his 
ability had received higher recognition, and he 
made a step higher in the ladder leading upward 
to success. Upon the 1st of January, 1S64, he 
took his place at a desk in the banking institution 



with which he is still connected. For three 
months he occupied a clerkship, and was then 
promoted to be teller and bookkeeper. In that 
capacity he acted until 1873, when he was again 
promoted, this time becoming the cashier of the 
bank. A quarter of a century has passed since 
then and he is still faithfully at his post of duty, 
in the meantime having gained the entire con- 
fidence and approval of all patrons of the bank, 
as well as of its officials. 

His right of suffrage Mr. Cole uses in behalf of 
the principles and candidates of the Republican 
party, but has never been a politician in any 
sense, nor desirous of office. The cause of edu- 
cation is one that is dear to his heart, and he is 
now a trustee of the Centenary Collegiate Insti- 
tute of Hackettstown, one of the best preparatory 
schools in the country. In the local Methodist 
Episcopal Church with which he holds member- 
ship he is quite active and at this time is a trustee 
in the same. 



••■>»;v;i0 '■■-■>£;•- ~«~ > 



V A ORRIS A. COLE, of Readington Town- 

Y ship, Hunterdon County, is a worthy repre- 
fc) sentative of one of the old pioneer families 

to whose energy and good citizenship is due much 
of the prosperity which this community now en- 
joys. Too little attention and too little credit are 
given those sturdy, honest, hard-working tillers 
of the soil, those men who wrought the founda- 
tions on which is reared the beautiful edifice of 
our commonwealth, and their children who have 
entered into their fair heritages realize not what 
was borne by them. The Coles are of German 
descent, and the name is found in the records of 
the first settlers of Readington Township. Ezekiel 
Cole, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, 
was a farmer of this township and was a justice 
of the peace. Obadiah, his son, next in descent, 
was born in this locality and owned large estates. 
The father of Morris A. Cole was Ezekiel D., 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3o7 



son of David O., and grandson of the Obadiah 
just mentioned. Ezekiel D. Cole married Lettie 
A. Alpaugh, of this county, and five children 
were born to them, viz.: David, Morris A., Alice, 
Hebron E. and Solomon. Morris A. was born 
April 27, 1844, in Readington Township, and 
was reared to manhood upon his father's farm. 
He received a good education in the public 
schools and was thoroughly trained in business 
methods and in the practical routine of farm work 
by his judicious parents. He stands high in the 
estimation of his neighbors and is noted for his 
sterling characteristics. In the spring of 1890 he 
was elected to serve as overseer of the poorhouse 
of this township, his term of office to run for six 
years. He belongs to the Farmers' Mutual In- 
surance Company, of the northern part of New 
Jersey, and is secretary and collector for the 
same. In politics he is a Republican, and favors 
a silver monetary standard. 

April 27, 1871, Mr. Cole married Margaret L-, 
daughter of Peter S. and Rebecca A. (Cole) 
Dalley. She is a native of this locality and 
passed her girlhood on a farm in Readington 
Township. Three daughters and one sou have 
been born of their marriage, and are named 
respectively, Urania, Margaret L-, Eva and 
Clarence. 



HON. E. MILTON WILSON has been en- 
gaged in general merchandising in Blairs- 
town for over twenty-two years and is con- 
sidered one of the enterprising citizens of this 
wide-awake town. He is always ready to give 
his earnest support to the organization of new 
industries, enterprises, or societies which have 
for their objects the upbuilding and elevating of 
this communit}' or the public in general. 

The birth of Mr. Wilson occurred in Hardwick 
Township, Warren County, N. J., September 17, 
1854. He is a son of Lemuel F. L. Wilson, who 
was born in Hunterdon County, but who passed 



the greater portion of his life in this county, a 
portion of his attention being claimed by his farm 
in Hardwick Township. He devoted much time 
to the settling of estates and doing other legal 
business for his neighbors. He was quite active 
in Democratic party politics, and was known in 
all sections of this and neighboring counties. 
He served as township committeeman, assessor 
and justice of the peace for many years. He was 
a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church at 
the time of his death, June 1, 1897, prior to 
which he had long been a loved member of the 
church. His life came to a close when he had 
attained more than the allotted age of man, three- 
score and ten, as he was in his seventy-sixth 
year. His father was Walter Wilson, a native of 
Hunterdon County, whence he removed to Ox- 
ford and then to Blairstown Townships, arriving 
here in 1837. He was a very active man, and 
possessed a vigorous constitution. He lived- to 
the ripe age of ninety-two years, and for forty-five 
years of that time did not know what it was to 
be ill, even to a slight degree. The Wilsons 
were very early settlers in Hunterdon County, 
and were of English descent. 

The mother of Mr. Wilson of this sketch was 
Miss Mary A. Titman, she being a daughter of 
George and Mary Titman. She is still living 
and enjoys fair health for a person of her age, as 
she is seventy-four years old. Her home is now 
in Blairstown, and with her resides her daughter 
Emma. Another daughter, MaryL-, widow of F. 
M. Smith, also lives in Blairstown. Cassie is the 
wife of Alonzo Hill, of Hardwick. The aged 
mother of these children is a devout member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

The early life of our subject was passed on the 
farm. His education was obtained in the district 
schools and Blairstown Academy, and when he 
was twenty-two years old he entered into partner- 
ship with F. M. Smith in a mercantile business 
in Blairstown. They continued together for 
three years, at the end of which time Mr. Wilson 
bought out his partner's interest, since which 
time he has conducted the business alone. He 
keeps a well-selected stock of goods, varying 



3 o8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in quality and prices to meet the needs of the 
people. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic 
order, Blairstown Lodge No. 165, F. & A. M., 
and with the Odd Fellows he is a member of 
Puritan Lodge of Blairstown, in which he has 
passed all the chairs. He is past sachem of 
Kittatinny Lodge No. 126, Improved Order of 
Red Men of this place, and is connected with 
Marksburg Council, Royal Arcanum. From 
1892 to 1894 he was a member of the legislature of 
New Jersey, having been elected on the Demo- 
cratic ticket. He made a creditable showing 
while representing the people, serving on several 
important committees, and all classes were satis- 
fied with him in every respect. During Cleve- 
land's first term, from 1882 to 1886, he held the 
postmastership of Blairstown. He has been quite 
a leader in his party, as well as in business, fra- 
ternal, social and church circles. For over ten 
years he has been president of the board of edu- 
cation, and has manifested great interest in the 
subject of providing better facilities and advan- 
tages for the rising generation in this direction. 
In 1879 Mr. Wilson married Celestia Rosen- 
krans, daughter of Avert Rosenkrans, of Wall- 
pack, N. J. They have three children, Roscoe 
M., Alice R. and Edith R. The family attend 
the Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Wilson being a 
member of the same. They have a pleasant 
home and enjoy the friendship of a multitude of 
old associates. 



(ILLIAM BELLIS is one of the prominent 
citizens of Raritan Township, Hunterdon 
County, and was born upon the old home- 
stead which he cultivates at the present time. 
This valuable farm was first owned and managed by 
the great-great-grandfather of the above, he having 
come here to make his permanent abode early in 
the eighteenth century. The parents of our sub- 
ject were William and Abi (Housel) Bellis. The 



former was very active in the organization and 
maintenance of the Presbyterian Church, and for 
a great many years was an elder in the congrega- 
tion. The cause of education found in him a 
sincere friend, as indeed did every worthy move- 
ment or object. His life was a busy and useful 
one, and his chief pleasure consisted in being 
able to extend a helping hand to those less fortu- 
nately situated than himself. Until his last 
illness he possessed remarkable good health. 
His death occurred when he was in his eighty- 
eighth year, and he is sleeping his last sleep 
beside his faithful wife, who died in her sixty- 
eighth year, and was interred in Amwell Ceme- 
tery. 

William Bellis is one of two children born to 
William and Abi Bellis that survive, two others 
having died. His sister Louisa lives with him 
and superintended his household affairs until he 
was married, in June, 1890. The birth of our 
subject took place August 1, 1847, anc ^ ne was 
reared and educated in this neighborhood. His 
elementary education was obtained in the local 
schools, after which he studied the higher 
branches of learning in the Flemington high 
school, and later attended a private one in Hights- 
town, N. J. 

Upon his entrance into the business world Mr. 
Bellis located in Flemington, and, at the end of 
a year or so, decided to study law. Having been 
instructed and guided in that direction by Judge 
R. S. Kuhl, he was admitted to the bar, but 
never actually practiced, as his parents were 
growing old and needed him at home, and he 
consequently resigned his own more ambitious 
plans. He carries on the farm, which comprises 
one hundred and sixteen acres. The place is 
well adapted to the raising of a general line of 
cereals and ordinary crops and Mr. Bellis keeps 
a fine grade of live stock, including high-grade 
horses. In politics he is a strong believer in the 
merits of the Prohibition party over all others 
existent. For some years he has been an elder 
in the Amwell United First Presbyterian Church, 
and at present is the president of the Hunterdon 
Countv Christian Endeavor Union. His life 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



309 



record is one of which any man might well be 
proud, as it is replete with good and noble 
actions, unselfish thought for others' welfare and 
earnest effort to help and elevate all with whom 
he comes into contact, whether in the business 
or social world. 



PROF. GEORGE FLEMING is the efficient 
principal of Junction Academy, having been 
*9 in this position for the past nine or ten 
3'ears. He is an able educator, and is recognized 
as such among those of the same calling. Dur- 
ing a period covering fourteen years he has 
served as county school examiner of Hunterdon 
County under the administration of three county 
superintendents, and has given entire satisfaction. 
He was president of the County School Teachers' 
Association at different times in the existence of 
that organization. While he does not adhere 
strictly to the old-fashioned methods, and is not 
in haste to adopt all of the educational theories 
advanced so freely nowadays, he is in favor of 
whatever is progressive and in the spirit of true 
improvement. In his school-room work one of 
his chief objects is to train the youth under his 
care to good and useful citizens, as he rightly 
holds that mere knowledge of books and theories 
is the least important part of the learning that 
the pliant minds of children should acquire. 

George Fleming was born February 12, 1845, 
at Milltown, in Somerset County, N. J., about 
four miles west of Sonierville. In 1850 his 
father removed to a farm a mile east of Reading- 
ton, and there the subject of this sketch was 
reared to manhood. The elder Fleming was a 
man of energetic disposition and was quite prom- 
inent in public affairs of his community. He 
was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Mutual 
Fire Assurance Association, and for over twenty 
years was the treasurer of that company. He, 
Andrew Fleming, was born in 1805; married 



Margarette, daughter of John Lawshe and Char- 
ity Lompings, and had several children who lived 
to maturity, viz.: John, born in 1839; Jane, 1841; 
Ann, 1843; George, 1845; Levi, 1847 (died in 
1875); Robins, 1856; Kate, 1857; Asher, 1859. 
Ann married Alonzo Butler, now of Frenchtown, 
N. J., and Kate is the wife of Alfred Butler, of 
Urbana, Ohio. Andrew Fleming departed this 
life in 1886. 

In tracing the history of the Fleming family it 
is found by the record that one Malcolm Flem- 
ing died near Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ire- 
land, in 1736. His three sons, Thomas, Andrew 
and William (1) came to America about 1750 and 
settled in Hunterdon County, near Bethlehem 
Presbyterian Church (familiarly known as the 
"New Stone Church"). Several of the family 
are buried in the old church-yard near. Will- 
iam (1) had two daughters and one son, Andrew 
(2). Andrew (2) died in 1785. There is a tra- 
dition in the family that he served in the Revolu- 
tionary war. His widow, Rebecca, died in 1821. 
They had five children: William (2), born in 1769; 
Eleanor, 1771; Martha, 1773; Malcolm, 1775; 
and Margaret. William (2), who was born in 
1769, married Elizabeth Cook, who was born in 
1768 and died in 1849. Their children were 
Eleanor, 1800-1878; Jacob Cook, 1802-1874; 
Thomas, 1804-1883; Andrew (3), 1S05-1886; Jo- 
anna, -1S07-1880; William, 1809-1872; Tyler, 
1811-1839; Abbott, 1813-1896. 

The school days of Professor Fleming were 
spent in the district in the neighborhood of his 
father's farm. Some of his teachers were of good 
ability, and though he did not have the advan- 
tages afforded many of the young people of this 
period he made the best of his opportunities, and 
by private study and earnest endeavors became 
very well informed. He, with two or three 
other young men, formed an algebra class, which 
met once or twice a week to study that branch 
under the direction of Sylvester Robins, a former 
teacher. In 1867 he left home to take charge of 
the Ridge school near White House. He found 
a boarding place in the home of Peter Green, 
near the school. Mr. Green had an only daugh- 



3io 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ter, an attractive young lady, and in the course 
of time an attachment sprang up between the 
teacher and the aforesaid young lady, this result- 
ing in their being married December 24, 1868. 
The following spring Mr. Fleming bought a farm 
near White House, built a house and again be- 
came a farmer. This was at the time of the high 
prices at the close of the Civil war, and as time 
elapsed, farming became less profitable and he 
resumed teaching for several years, having charge 
of both farm and school. 

In 1873 Professor Fleming was chosen princi- 
pal of Mondalia Academy, in Glen Gardner, and 
removed to that place, where he remained four 
years. Then he was invited to take charge of 
the academy in Clinton, and held that position 
four years. In 1881 he settled in Readington, 
near the home of his boyhood, and during the 
three years that he was principal of the public 
schools of the town, he was particularly success- 
ful and happy. From there he went in 1884 to 
Valley, or as it is more generally known now, 
West Portal. The iron mines in that vicinity 
were being worked with much enterprise at that 
time, and the school which he conducted there 
for five years was very flourishing. He resigned 
to accept his present position, in which he has 
met with gratifying success. He has been iden- 
tified with the several churches of the various 
places in which he has dwelt. In 1868 he united 
with the Methodist denomination in White 
House and soon after became a member of the 
official board. At the present time he is con- 
nected with the Methodist Church of Junction; is 
president of the trustees, treasurer of the stewards 
and Sunday-school superintendent. In early life 
he used his ballot in favor of the Democracy, but 
since the organization of the Prohibition party 
he has usually rendered it his allegiance, though 
he is not bigoted, and sometimes votes for some 
other candidate. 

As before mentioned Professor Fleming mar- 
ried the daughter of Peter Green and wife (for- 
merly Esther M. Miller). Mrs. Fleming, whose 
given name is Esther Ann, was born in 1S50, in 
Sergeantsville, N. J. The children born to our 



subject and wife are: Peter Green, 1870, now en- 
gaged in the machinery business in Elizabeth, 
N. J.; he married Ida May, daughter of Alfred 
Barber, of Raritan, N. J., and had three children, 
Myrtle D., Alfred B. and Malcolm; Margarette, 
1872, is the wife of Rev. Thomas Houston, of 
Elizabeth, and her children are: Elizabeth F. , 
George Fleming and Thomas; Myron, 1874, a 
machinist of Elizabeth, married Beatrice Hadley, 
of that city, Eouisa Johnson, 1876, is a teacher 
in Junction Academy; and the younger children 
are Esther Miller, 1878; Mabel Victoria, 1887; 
and Andrew Carlos, 1891. 



" • ^ 2 *: i ; © - " - '"^ • ' " ~* — f " 



GlUGUSTUS W. CUTEER, ex-mayor of 
Li Hackettstown, Warren County, has been 
/ 1 very active and aggressive in the promotion 
of the welfare and advancement of the best in- 
terests of the people of this place and vicinity. 
To his influence and material aid many of the in- 
dustries and permanent benefits which have ac- 
crued to the advantage of the inhabitants of this 
community are directl\ r traceable, and a histon- 
of our achievements and increasing civilization 
would be wholly incomplete were his own life- 
sketch omitted. 

The great-great-grandfather of our subject was 
Silas Cutler, a man of much distinction in his 
time. He was a member of the first continental 
congress of the United States, served as one of 
the committee of safety and at one time was 
speaker of the house. His son, Abijah, great- 
grandfather of our subject, fought for the liberty 
of America in the war of the Revolution. 

Silas C. Cutler, father of A. W., was a native 
of Morristown, Morris County, N. J. He was a 
scholar, a graduate of Princeton College and of 
New York Medical College. For several years 
he was successfully engaged in practice, and for 
a period was president of the New Jersey State 
Medical Association. Death cut short his career 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3ii 



when he was in the prime of manhood, being but 
forty-three years old. He had married Sarah V. , 
daughter of Judge Stephen Vail, of Morristown, 
N. J., and sister of Alfred Vail, who, with Pro- 
fessor Morse, invented the telegraphic system. 
Mrs. Cutler lived to be seventy-five years of age, 
and died, regretted by a large circle of loving 
friends. Her grandfather, Joseph Vail, was 
brigadier-general of the New Jersey Cavalry dur- 
ing a part of the war of the Revolution. 

Augustus W. Cutler was born in Morristown, 
N. J., September 2, 1840. After leaving the 
common schools in 1854 he attended a seminary 
in Deckertown, N. J., and in 1855-56 was a 
student in Nazareth, Pa. He was about twenty 
years of age when he came to Hackettstown, 
since which time he has made his home on the 
farm originally owned by his grandfather, Judge 
Stephen Vail, from whom he inherited the place. 
About fifty acres of this tract lies within the city 
limits of Hackettstown, and as the town is grad- 
ually spreading in this direction it bids fair to 
rise in value, and eventually be subdivided into 
residence lots. 

In political affairs Mr. Cutler is a Democrat of 
the independent order. He was a member of the 
common council for five or six years and in 1889 
was elected a freeholder, after which he was a 
director of the board for seven years and is the 
present incumbent. He is a member of the board 
of water commissioners and of the board of health. 
For two years he was the efficient and popular 
mayor of this city, and at the expiration of that 
time resigned his position. When the boundary 
lines were established between Somerset and 
Morris and Hunterdon and Morris Counties he 
was one of the three commissioners appointed by 
the supreme court to establish the lines. In all 
these varied positions he gave entire satisfaction 
to the public and acquitted himself most admir- 
ably. 

September 16, 1863, Mr. Cutler married Miss 
Catherine M. Fairclo, who was born in Chester, 
N. J., and came to Hackettstown with her par- 
ents in 1854; her mother is still living, aged 
ninety-two. They have one son, Silas C, named 



in honor of his grandfather. He is engaged in 
railroading. He was married October 19, 1892, 
to Augusta Valentine and they have three chil- 
dren, Kathryn, Augustus and the youngest 
daughter, Ray. They reside in Hackettstown. 



~? LIJAH R. ROBINSON is the genial and 
"a) popular station agent of the Lehigh Valley 
__ Railroad Company in Pittstown, Hunterdon 
County. Though he has held this position here 
but seven years, he has been in the employ of this 
railway corporation for a much longer period, in 
fact for a quarter of a century. He is considered 
one of their most reliable, punctual and wholly 
trustworthy men, and with the general traveling 
public he is equally esteemed. In former years 
he took a very active part in political affairs, giv- 
ing his influence and votes to the Democracy. 
During some four years he was a member of the 
board of freeholders of this county, was president 
of the same honorable body all but a year of that 
time; served as township committeeman and was 
clerk of the board for three years and also occupied 
the position of justice of the peace. In these 
several places he won the high praise of all inter- 
ested in public matters by his fidelity to his 
duties and his patriotic regard for the rights of 
the people, as he always earnestly labored for 
their benefit. 

This branch of the Robinson family in the 
United States is a very old and honorable one, 
dating back to that revered old clergyman, good 
old Lucius Robinson, who was the pastor of many 
of the little band of Puritans that came to found 
new homes on the bleak shores of New England 
in the early days of Plymouth Colony. The 
paternal grandparents of our subject were William 
and Sarah Robinson, and his parents were Jacob 
and Martha (Menagh) Robinson. The father, 
Jacob, was born in 1807 in Berks County, Pa., 
and upon arriving at man's estate came to Hun- 



312 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



terdon County. He learned the shoemaker's 
trade in Palmyra, and worked at this occupation 
in connection with farming until old age. He 
lived to be seventy-seven years old, and lies buried 
at Locust Grove Cemetery in this township. In 
politics he was an old-school Democrat, and reli- 
giously was a Presbyterian. Though only moder- 
ately successful in a financial point of view he 
reared a large family to lives of usefulness in the 
busy world, and his charities were numerous and 
unpretending. 

His widow died in January, 1897, when in her 
eighty-seventh year. For about sixty-five years 
she was a faithful member of the old stone 
Presbyterian Church, and was "a mother in 
Israel. ' ' Her parents were William and Elizabeth 
Menagh, who came to America from the northern 
part of Ireland, and were of stanch Protestant 
stock. Of the children born to herself and hus- 
band, the eldest, Sarah, died in infancy; William, 
who served for nine months in the Thirtieth New 
Jersey Volunteers during the late war, died in No- 
vember, 1892, at the age of fifty-nine years; Hugh 
M., another brave soldier-boy, offered his life to 
his country in the Civil war, was a lieutenant in 
the Thirty-first Regiment of New Jersey, and died 
at Bellplains, Va. , of typhoid fever contracted by 
exposure and hardships endured in his army life; 
Thomas Burkitt served in the Thirty-eight 
Regiment of this state in the war; (Margaret, the 
widow of Thomas P. Burkitt, is living near Lock- 
town, this county) Elijah R. is the next of the 
family; Louisa P. is the wife of S. M. Suydam, of 
this county; and Mary J. married Theodore 
Geary, of Trenton, N. J. 

The birth of E. R. Robinson occurred at the old 
homestead in Alexandria Township, Hunterdon 
County, June 19, 1843. He remained with his 
parents until the war came on, when his youthful 
patriotism could hardly be restrained by their ad- 
vice and entreaties, and he finally ran away from 
home to enlist. This was in September, 1862, he 
at that time becoming sergeant of Company F in 
the Thirty-first New Jersey Regiment. Upon the 
expiration of his time of enlistment (nine months) , 
he re-enlisted in the Thirty-eight Regiment of 



state troops for service during the war, and served 
until the close of the war, thus making about 
twenty-one months altogether. Though he was 
actively engaged in many important campaigns 
and in the battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericks- 
burg and Petersburg and others, he was never 
wounded nor taken prisoner. 

When the cruel strife had ended, Mr. Robinson 
returned home and turned his attention to agri- 
cultural pursuits for a number of years. In 1873 
he began working on the Lehigh Valley Railroad 
in the construction corps, and in the two years 
that followed his ability and faithfulness to duty 
won favorable notice from his superiors. In 1875 
he was given the position of agent at Jutland, 
Hunterdon County, and remained there until 
1891, when he was transferred to this post, his 
son succeeding to his old position in Jutland, 
which is only a few miles from here. Our subject 
still has his home in Jutland. He is a member of 
Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton, 
N. J., and of Capoolong LodgeNo. 185, I.O.O.F., 
of the same town. 

January 31, 1869, Mr. Robinson married Fran- 
ces E. Best, of Franklin Township, this county. 
Their two children are Anna K. , who is the wife 
of William Williams, of Easton, Pa., and George 
M., who, as previously mentioned, has charge of 
the station at Jutland, and has been connected 
with railroading since he was fifteen. Mr. Robin- 
son, his wife and daughter are members of the 
Presbyterian Church; he has been for the past 
ten years treasurer and president of the board of 
trustees of the same. 



HARRY LATIMER, a prominent citizen of 
High Bridge, Hunterdon County, is thor- 
oughly patriotic and is a man of public 
spirit. His own interests he ever holds second- 
ary to the general good, and in all his dealings 
with his fellows he is noted for his sterling integ- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3i; 



rity and uprightness. He has hosts of sincere 
friends and well wishers in this community, where 
he has endeared himself to the residents by his 
.worthy characteristics of heart and head. He is 
an ardent supporter of the Republican party, and 
has from time to time officiated in various local 
positions of trust and honor. For two years he 
was treasurer of this township, and for three years 
he served as a member of the Republican com- 
mittee of the township. He stands very high in 
the fraternities, being past master of Stewart 
Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton, and is 
past noble grand of Rialto Lodge No. 161, I. O. 
O. F. , of High Bridge. He was presented with a 
handsome past master's jewel by the Clinton 
lodge in appreciation of his services there. 

Our subject is the eldest surviving child in a 
family of thirteen, whose parents were Edward 
C. and Lydia A. (Emmett) Latimer, both natives 
of New York state. The father was an iron- 
molder by trade, and followed this calling dur- 
ing active life. His living children are as fol- 
lows: Harry; George and Frank, employed by 
the Taylor Iron Works, of this place, the latter 
being superintendent of the wheel department; 
Walter, engaged in the plumbing business in 
Bridgeport, Conn.; Carrie, wife of Frederick R. 
De Groff, a policeman in Jersey City; Ella, wife 
of J. W. Beavers, a merchant of Califon, N. J.; 
Grace H., wife of George T. Newhall, of New 
Haven, Conn.; Edward C, who is in partnership 
with his brother Walter in Bridgeport, Conn.; 
Lydia A., named for her mother and now the 
wife of Edson Clinton, of New Haven, Conn.; 
and Lizzie and Ida, who are unmarried and are 
residents of Jersey Cit} r . 

Harry Latimer was born in the city of New 
York, August 22, 1854, an d spent the first nine 
years of his life in the metropolis. Then with 
his parents he removed to Poughkeepsie, on the 
Hudson, and lived in that pretty town until he 
was sixteen. The father at that time took a posi- 
tion with the High Bridge Iron Works, and our 
subject found employment in the forge depart- 
ment of the same concern for eighteen months. 
He then commenced a regular apprenticeship to 



the tinner's trade under the supervision of Peter 
Doyle, of Glen Gardner. After serving the three 
years of this period he worked as a journeyman 
about a year in Easton, and from there went to 
Brooklyn. In 1879 he returned to High Bridge 
and laid the foundations for his present business 
in a small way. Gradually, as success came to 
him in reward for his persistent efforts, he en- 
larged his business, and now has a fine stock of 
light and heavy hardware, stoves, tinware and 
general house-furnishing goods. He is a prac- 
tical tinner and an authority on the subject of 
stoves and hardware. 

In the year of America's Centennial jubilee Mr. 
Latimer was married, in Glen Gardner, Hunter- 
don County, to Adelaide Flatt. Her parents 
were William and Susan (Perry) Flatt, who were 
both natives of Morris County, N. J. Mrs. Lat- 
imer, however, was born in High Bridge and was 
reared to womanhood in this place and in Glen 
Gardner. Four children grace the union of our 
subject and wife: William, who is his father's 
able assistant in the business; and Walter R. , 
Blanche and F. Irving, who are attending school. 



•••>»•• ^QK*-^ — «^- 



GEORGE CLARK is one of the substantial 
— I farmers of Clinton Township to whose enter- 
^Ji prise and public spirit much ofitsprosperit}- 
and high standing in the township of Hunterdon 
County is due. He owns a section of the orig- 
inal old Ramsey farm, which estate has been in 
the possession of the family for over a century. 
In 1883 he built the creamer} 7 which is located on 
this farm, and is now conducting it with success. 
He buys and ships milk and other dairy products 
in great quantities, handling about seventy-five 
cans of milk alone per day, and is recognized as 
the leader in this industry in his section of the 
state. 

A son of Samuel and Sarah (Ramsey) Clark, 
our subject was born in this vicinity October 25, 



3*4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1842. His father was a native of Connecticut, born 
April 1, 1809. He was a resident of Lebanon for 
years, but afterwards removed to Germantown, 
where he carried on a hotel for twenty years. He is 
still living and in fairly good health. He and his 
brother Austin married sisters, the brother's wife 
being named Rachel Ramsey. Samuel and Sarah 
Clark had seven children: Austin, Alva A., 
George; Maggie, wife of George T. Martin, of 
New York City; John B., of.Califon, N. J. ; Ophe- 
lia, Mrs. James Raub, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and 
Charles, a prominent lawyer of Brooklyn. 

The boyhood of George Clark passed quietly 
under the parental roof, and his education was ob- 
tained in the public schools of Germantown, N. J. , 
March 20, 1866, he married Anna, daughter 
of Frederick and Mary A. (Craig) Lane. Mr. 
Lane was a highly respected citizen of Somerset 
County and owned one of the finest estates in Bid- 
minster Township. He was an exemplar}' Chris- 
tian, and was very active in the work of the Pres- 
byterian Church. He was born December 22, 
1813, and died October 7, 1873. His family was 
a large one, comprising fourteen children, but 
they were very happy together and never lacked 
for the necessities and many of the so-called lux- 
uries of life. 

After his marriage Mr. Clark settled upon 
part of the Ramsey farm, renting the same for a 
number of years or until he could get a fair start 
financially. About 1879 he purchased from the 
heirs one hundred acres of the homestead, and five 
years later bought an additional tract, adjoining 
the other. In the place where he is now making 
his home there are one hundred and sixty-two 
acres. He has made most of the improvements, 
building a comfortable residence and barns, and 
otherwise greatly increasing the value of the 
farm, which is a model one in every respect. He 
uses his franchise on behalf of the candidates of 
the Democratic party, but has never been a seeker 
after official honors. Among his friends and ac- 
quaintances Mr. Clark is held in high esteem. He 
is a progressive citizen, ever ready to assist with 
his time and means any enterprise tending toward 
the advantage of the community. To such men 



Hunterdon County is indebted for her present 
high standing among her sister counties. With 
his good wife and their two children, George N. 
(who is referred to in another part of this volume) 
and Marjorie R. , he holds membership with the 
Reformed Church of Lebanon. 



30HN W. HENDERSON. During the long 
period of twenty-three years that this worthy 
citizen has served as justice of the peace in 
Califon, Hunterdon Count}', he has made a record 
of which he may be justly proud, and one which 
is seldom eclipsed. He enjoys the distinction of 
never having had a single judgment of his set 
aside by the higher courts, a fact which speaks 
plainly for the wisdom, fairness and excellent 
knowledge of the general law which he has in- 
variably manifested. In 1881 he was appointed 
commissioner of deeds and has held this office 
continuously since, and in 1894 was appointed no- 
tary public as well, by Governor Abbott. In 
1890 he was the United States census enumera- 
tor for Tewksbury Township. Politically he is 
faithful in his allegiance to the Republican party. 
The great-grandfather of the above-named 
gentleman was a native of Scotland. He came 
to America at an earl}' date, settling in the vicin- 
ity of Asbury, Warren County, N. J. There 
his son John, grandfather of our subject, was 
born. He followed agricultural pursuits in the 
same county, and married a Miss Ritchie, by 
whom he had a family of seven sons and two 
daughters. Of these children, Joshua O. was the 
father of John W., of whom we write. He 
learned the tailor's trade in his youth, and fol- 
lowed that calling until the loss of his right 
thumb, as the result of a felon, caused him to 
abandon his trade and turn his attention to farm- 
ing. From that time until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1885, he made his home in Readington 
Township, this county. He was a Republican 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3i5 



and a member of the Methodist Church. In 1838 
he married Mary B., daughter of Andrew Stout, 
of German Valley, and the nine children born to 
them were named as follows: Andrew, Joseph, 
Sarah J., Hester A., Benjamin F., John W., 
Wilbur F., Almira and Susan S. The eldest, 
Andrew, died in March, 1876; Sarah J. died in 
1S85; Joseph is a resident of Norfolk, Neb. ; Wil- 
bur F. , of White House, N. J., and the three sis- 
ters all live in the town of High Bridge, N. J. 
Hester is the wife of George Wycoff; Almira mar- 
ried Henry H. Hope, and Susan is the wife of 
William J. Ladlie. 

John W. Henderson was born in Tewksbury 
Township April 1, 1847. Until he was fourteen 
years old he attended the local schools during the 
winter terms and the remainder of the year gave 
most of his time to the assisting of his father in 
the management of the farm. When in his 
fifteenth year the lad left home to make his own 
way in the world henceforth, and took a posi- 
tion with a farmer at $4.50 a month and 
board. The next six years he worked very 
industriously, always considering his employer's 
interests, and at the end of this period he was 
earning a salary of $200 and expenses. One of 
the innate qualities of his character has al- 
ways been noticeable — that of fidelity to duty, 
no matter under what circumstances, and this 
it is which was wrought out for him the love 
and respect of all with whom he has come into 
business relations. When he was about twenty, 
he commenced learning the harness-maker's 
trade in New Germantown, remaining in the em- 
ploy of William B. G. Price for three years. 

A young man of twenty-three when he came 
to Calif on, Mr. Henderson has long been looked 
upon as one of our representative men of affairs. 
At that time he opened a harness shop for him- 
self, but at the expiration of that period he sold 
out to John Williamson. From boyhood he had 
felt the need of better advantages in an educational 
way, and assiduously devoted many an hour to 
study that his companions gave to recreation. 
He now spent much of the time for a twelve- 
month in preparing himself for teaching, and hav- 



ing succeeded in meeting the requirements of the 
examining board, he engaged in training the 
young idea for the succeeding eight years with 
gratifying success. For ten years he was much 
interested in the raising of peaches and fruit. 
He was but twenty-seven when he was elected a 
justice of the peace, and from that time to the 
present he has served the public in some official 
position or positions. The entire confidence of 
his associates is reposed in his known and tried 
honor, and he is frequently called upon to settle 
up estates and act in the capacity of trustee. He 
is a member of Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. & A. 
M., of Clinton, and is past chancellor of Fidelity 
Lodge No. 123, K. P., of Califon. 

For over a quarter of a century Mr. Henderson 
was cheered by the companionship of his faithful 
and devoted wife, to whom he was united in mar- 
riage December 16, 1871. She was Mary, daugh- 
ter of Leonard N. Flomerfelt, of Califon. Death 
claimed her upon the 17th of March, 1897, 
and her loss is deeply felt by the many friends to 
whom she had endeared herself in a thousand 
ways during her busy, cheerful life. For twenty- 
years Mr. Henderson has held the offices of 
steward and trustee in the Methodist Church of 
this town, and is also treasurer of the board. He 
was largely instrumental in the building of the 
beautiful new church structure, which was 
started in September, 1891, and was completed 
and dedicated May 6, 1892, entirely free from 
debt. The amount necessary in the building was 
$8,400, all raised by subscription. 



WlARSHALL F. APGAR, superintendent of 
V the forge department of the Taylor Iron 
lO and Steel Company, is a young man who 
has worked his way up from the foot of the lad- 
der, and has won a deservedly high place in the 
estimation of his superiors. Faithful, industrious 
and honest, he is thoroughly reliable and to be 



316 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



depended upon, and his genuine merit is recog- 
nized by all who know him. The Taylor Iron 
and Steel Company, as everyone in this section 
of the state knows, is one of the most important 
industries, and is situated in High Bridge, Hun- 
terdon County. A length}' account of this plant 
is to be found in the sketch of the president of 
the works, Lewis H. Taylor, printed elsewhere 
in this volume. 

A worthy representative of an honored old 
family of this county, our subject was born April 
20, 1861, his parents being Benjamin and Emma 
(Wier) Apgar, and his paternal grandfather 
Adam Apgar. The last-mentioned was born and 
lived near Califon, and was a blacksmith in that 
town. His son and grandson seem to have in- 
herited his talent for mechanics and iron-work- 
ing. Benjamin Apgar was a millwright by trade 
and erected most of the mills in this portion of 
the county. He has also put in much of the 
machinery in the forge and iron works, and is now 
employed here, and has charge of the construc- 
tion of buildings and the placing of new machin- 
ery. He has been twice married and is the 
father of the following children: Marshall F. ; 
Sarah, wife of Wilmer H. Apgar, a telegraph 
operator of High Bridge; and Augusta, wife of 
John Backus, of Centralia, Kas. 

In his youth Marshall F. Apgar attended the 
common schools of his home neighborhood until 
he was about fourteen years of age, when he 
commenced serving an apprenticeship to his 
father as a millwright. He soon afterwards be- 
came one of the employes of the company with 
which he is still connected, at first in the forge 
department in a minor capacity, but by degrees 
worked his way to the front ranks. Since Janu- 
ary, 1889, he has held his present responsible 
position, and has from one hundred and forty to 
one hundred and fifty hands under his super- 
vision. In political affairs he is to be found 
using his ballot on behalf of the Republican 
party, and fraternally he is a Master Mason, be- 
longing to Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., 
of Clinton. 

In August, 1884, the marriage of Mr. Apgar 



and Emma C. Hoffman, daughter of Frederick 
and Mary A. ( Keeter) Hoffman, of Morris County, 
was solemnized. One child who came to bless 
their home has since died, but four bright, prom- 
ising little ones remain, viz.: Augusta D., 
Stanley, Harold and Benjamin Frederick. The 
youngest was named in honor of his two grand- 
fathers. The family has a pleasant home, whose 
hospitable doors are always open to receive and 
welcome the many friends of our estimable and 
respected subject and his charming wife. 



NENRY M. KLINE is an honored resident of 
Clinton, Hunterdon County, of which place 
he has been the efficient mayor for several 
terms. During the prime of his life he was busily 
engaged in mercantile ventures, and he has not 
altogether retired from commercial life, as he is 
of too energetic a nature to rest in idleness. He 
attends to various investments, is an assignee, 
collector, etc. , and has served the people of this 
vicinity as an assessor and in other minor posi- 
tions. He favors all progressive movements, and 
is a sincere friend to education. When the Clin- 
ton Electric Light Company was first talked of, 
he was one of its most enthusiastic supporters, 
was very influential in getting the same started 
and afterwards was made its vice-president. He 
possesses genuine talent as a financier, and has 
the wisdom gained in a wide business experience, 
extending over man}' years. 

H. M. Kline was born in the town of Clinton, 
Hunterdon County, April 22, 1845, and in this 
neighborhood received his elementary education. 
In his youth he learned the printer's trade, and 
followed that occupation for about three years. 
Then for a similar period he was a collector for a 
New York business firm, and finally he embarked 
in general merchandising in Clinton, N. J. There 
he remained during some thirty years, being 
blessed with success, and during the last few 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3i7 



years laying aside a competence for old age. In 
1893 he retired from the mercantile business and 
since then he has been a resident of Clinton, N. J. 
In numerous ways he has endeavored to promote 
the welfare of our citizens, and while acting as 
mayor and as a member of the council his influ- 
ence was notably on the side of law, order and 
progress. He is an honorary member of George 
W. Taylor Post No. 9, G. A. R. With his bal- 
lot he supports the nominees of the Democratic 
party. In company with his good wife, whose 
girlhood name was Sarah Craig, he holds mem- 
bership with the Presbyterian Church. Their 
marriage took place in this county October 21, 
1868, at the home of the bride's father, Robert 
Craig, a respected citizen. 

The parents of H. M. Kline were Oliver and 
Lucinda B. (Leigh) Kline. They were both 
born and reared to maturity in this county. The 
father was a quiet, unostentatious man, diligent 
in his business affairs, and for years was occupied 
in speculation in wool, cattle, etc. He died about 
1 89 1, loved and regretted by all who had known 
him. He was a son of H. M. Kline, whose fa- 
ther, Christopher, was a native of Germany and 
who was an early settler in this state. Mrs. 
Lucinda Kline died in 1890. She was a descend- 
ant of Thomas, first Lord Leigh of Stanley, in 
County Warwick, England. 



0AVID C. CRAMER, one of the honored old 
citizens of Clinton Township, Hunterdon 
County, owns a valuable and well-improved 
homestead in the vicinity of the town of Annan- 
dale. For many years he has made a specialty 
of dairying on quite a large scale, and has been 
very successful in the venture. He is a practical 
business man, active and progressive in his 
methods, and by his own industry and perse- 
verance has won a competence for his declining 
years. 



A native of Clinton Township, our subject has 
been a life-long resident of this neighborhood, 
and here, where he is so well known, he is most 
highly esteemed. His father, John S., and 
grandfather, Mathias Cramer, were born on the 
farm that he now owns. This tract of land was 
originally taken up by the great-grandfather of 
our subject, Noah Cramer. John S. Cramer, 
born in 1796, was the second child in his parents' 
family. His brothers and sisters were: Mary 
(now deceased), wife of John W. Lowe, of Clin- 
ton Township; Nancy, wife of Benjamin Boss; 
David W., deceased; Catherine, wife of Captain 
Bird; Matilda, wife of David W. Deliker; and 
Matthias. The wife of John S. Cramer bore the 
maiden name of Catherine Creer. They had 
several children, of whom three survive: Matthias, 
a miller in Hamden, N. J.; John C, and David C, 
the subject of this sketch. The father departed 
this life June 5, 1891. 

David C. Cramer was born September 16,1831, 
and soon after his marriage he took charge of the 
home farm, operating it until it came absolutely 
into his possession. He has kept up the place in 
good shape, making necessary improvements, 
and everything about the homestead shows the 
care and attention he bestows upon it. For years 
he dealt extensively in cattle and horses, buying, 
selling and shipping to various points. Later he 
became interested in the dairy business, and has 
kept from forty to fifty cows, making a specialty 
of the live-stock business. He is a member of 
the Masonic order, belonging to Stewart Lodge 
No. 34, of Clinton; to Clinton Chapter No. 37, 
R. A. M., and to De Molay Commandery No. 6, 
K. T., of Washington, N.J. He is a charter 
member of Clinton Lodge, which he assisted in 
organizing. In his political relations he is con- 
nected with the Democracy. 

In 1850 Mr. Cramer married Miss Harriet 
Sharp, and to their union two children were born. 
Austin, the son, lives on the old homestead, 
which he helps to manage. He is married and 
has three children. December 29, 1897, his 
daughter Laura became the wife of Howard 
Sharp, of Easton, Pa. The wedding was one of 



318 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the noteworthy affairs of the season, and over one 
hundred invited guests were present. Marilda, 
the daughter of our subject, is the wife of A. L- 
Ramsey, of this township. 



y- -••2hi}-')(T)j"J-c-*- --«--:- 



" MLY H. BEEEIS has for more than twenty 
^ years engaged in the cultivation of the old 
__ homestead where he was born. The place 
comprises seventy-four well-cultivated acres and 
is situated in the township of Kingwood, Hunter- 
don County. In the house where he now lives 
Mr. Bellis, in 1822, first saw the light of day. 
He is a son of Samuel Bellis, a native of Alex- 
andria Township, but a resident of Kingwood 
during the greater part of his life. By trade a 
carpenter, he engaged quite extensively in work 
at his trade, erecting many buildings in his lo- 
cality. In addition, he did considerable business 
as an undertaker, and also superintended the 
management of his farm. He was well known 
throughout the county and was respected as a 
man of the highest integrity and worth of charac- 
ter. A Methodist in religion, he assisted in the 
erection of the first church of that denomination 
at Everittstown, and for years held office as a 
trustee and class-leader of the congregation. 
When he passed away in 1875 he was eighty- 
eight years of age. He was a son of John Bellis, 
who spent the most of his life as a farmer in 
Alexandria Township, dying there at seventy-five 
years. 

By the marriage of Samuel Bellis to Mary, 
daughter of Paul Kels, four children were born, 
and two of these are now living: Emly H. and 
Lncinda, widow of Absalom Apgar. The mother, 
who died at the age of about sixty-two, was an 
active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The entire life of our subject has been spent in 
Kingwood Township, upon the family homestead 
where he was born. Farming has been his prin- 
cipal occupation in life, though he has also done 



considerable carpentering and in his younger 
years taught school for a short time. In 1876 he 
purchased the old homestead and has since carried 
it on. With his wife he holds membership in the 
Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder. 

. In 1850 occurred the marriage of Mr. Bellis to 
Miss Elizabeth Pittinger, daughter of William 
and Elizabeth (Stout) Pittinger. They are the 
parents of an only daughter, Martha J., who is 
the wife of E- S. D. Kerr, of Frenchtown. 



BOGARDUS, D. D. S., is considered the 
V) leading dentist in the pretty town of Phillips- 
__ burg, Warren County. From his earl}' 
years he has been familiar with the work per- 
taining to the profession, as his father also fol- 
lowed the calling for man}' years, and gave him 
able and practical instruction. In every one of 
the professions, there has been marked progress 
during the past few years, and this is especially 
true of the dental art. The public demands ex- 
cellent skill in this direction and under the pres- 
ent systems of our dental colleges, students are 
required to pass rigorous examinations ere they 
are admitted to the rank of graduate dental sur- 
geons. After taking a full course in the New 
York College of Dentistry, the subject of this arti- 
cle was examined by the boards for that purpose 
iu both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is 
thus qualified to practice in either state. He is a 
student and keeps posted on all recent discoveries 
in his line by taking the leading journals devoted 
to dentistry. 

The Bogardus family originated in Holland 
several generations ago. The father of the doctor 
was S. W. , a native of New York state. During 
the Civil war he was in the Union army with the 
rank of first lieutenant, and the sword which he 
carried is now in the possession of his son. Dr. 
S. W. Bogardus came to Phillipsburg in 1S82 
and continued actively engaged in practice until 
his death, which took place in 1S90. His wife, who 
is also a native of the Empire state, was Sarah 
A. Rose before their marriage. She is still liv- 
ing, being seventy-three years of age. 




JOHN W. READING. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



321 



Our subject was born in the town of Matawan, 
Monmouth Count}-, N. J., June 24, 1853, and is 
one of ten children. He received an excellent 
education in the public schools of this state, sup- 
plementing such instruction with a course in the 
higher branches in Matawan Institute. Having 
determined to adopt his father's calling, he went 
to New York, and, as previously stated, com- 
menced his studies in dentistry. After he had 
completed the same he returned home, and began 
his practice with his father, who was of much as- 
sistance to the young man. The doctor is a lover 
of fine horses and owns some. 

In November, 1876, Dr. Bogardus married 
Mar}', daughter of Jacob Eilenburg, of Strouds- 
burgh, Pa., and they became the parents of a 
child, who was not long permitted to remain with 
them, but in its infancy was summoned to the 
home above. The doctor politically is identified 
with the Democratic part}'. 



(JOHN W. READING. Among the honored 
I old .citizens of Hunterdon County no one 
(2/ is more justly entitled to representation in 
her history than is he whose name heads this 
article. His busy and useful life, almost span- 
ning this wonderful century of progress and intel- 
lectual and commercial activity, has been entirely 
passed in this locality. He was born in Dela- 
ware Township, within whose limits he still 
dwells, August 17, 18 12. 

Asher Reading, father of our subject, was born 
in New Jersey, near Black's Eddy, Pa., and after- 
wards lived near Rosemont.- He followed agri- 
cultural pursuits as a means of gaining his liveli- 
hood, and in addition to this he had learned the 
tinner's trade and worked at that occupation' to 
some extent. He married Margaret Wolverton, 
and had a family of eight children, viz.: Nancy, 
who married John Golden; John W. ; Kensel, 



whose home is in Davenport, Iowa; Mary, de- 
ceased; Sarah, wife of Joseph Opdyke, of this 
county; Samuel, deceased; Rachel, wife of Eman- 
uel H. Green; and Margaret, wife of Asa Cronce, 
now living on the old home place. 

The public schools of this locality were poorly 
managed and bore little resemblance to the finely 
equipped ones of to-day, when the subject of this 
sketch was a boy, and he is mainly self edu- 
cated. He continued to live at home with his 
parents until he was twenty-seven years of age, 
when he moved to the farm where he is still 
making his dwelling place. This homestead 
comprises one hundred and nineteen acres, de- 
voted to the raising of a general line of cereals, 
etc., usually grown in this portion of the state 
and certain large fruits, such as apples and 
peaches. 

Mr. Reading has been a practical and success- 
ful farmer, and won his high place in the esteem 
of his neighbors and associates by a life of the 
utmost integrity and uprightness. His right of 
suffrage he has always used on behalf of the 
Democratic party, and though he has avoided 
official distinction, he has sometimes been called 
upon to act in minor positions in this commu- 
nity, and has each time given full satisfaction to 
all concerned in the same. He is a director in 
the Flemington National Bank, and for years 
has been president of the Centre Bridge Com- 
pany, at Stockton. This company erected the 
first bridge across the Delaware River between 
Trenton and Eastou. 

Although not a member of any denomination 
Mr. Reading attends the Methodist Church in 
Rosemont and sometimes is present at the serv- 
ices of the Methodist Church in Sergeants- 
ville. His religion has been a matter of his 
daily life and practice, and is not limited to de- 
vout lip-service. As all men should do, he has 
endeavored to use whatever influence he pos- 
sessed in the helping and uplifting of his fellow- 
man, and many a one has been materially aided, 
comforted and made better by his wise assistance 
and timely sympathy. Though he is much past 
the allotted age ofmau, according to the Psalmist, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he is remarkably strong and well, in both mind 
and body, and gives promise of living many years 
longer. 

In 1839 J. W. Reading married Lucinda Gor- 
don, and to them three children were born. Gor- 
don, the only son, is deceased, as is also Delilah 
Ann, the youngest of the family. Sarah Eliza- 
beth married Charles T. Fisher, who has since 
died, and she is now living with her aged father 
on the old homestead, giving to him most 
loving and dutiful care in his declining days. 
She has one daughter, Maud V., who is the wife 
of Everett Johnson, and resides in New York. 



(1 WALTER INGHAM is the superintendent 
I of the Warren Foundry and Machine Com- 
C/ pany, of Phillipsburg, one of the largest es- 
tablishments of the kind in this portion of the 
state. Since he became superintendent of the 
works, some six years ago, the capacity of the 
plant has been increased about twenty-five per 
cent, and seven hundred men are now employed. 
. Two locomotives and crews are required to do the 
necessary shifting in the j^ards, and everything 
about the establishment is on a large scale. In 
this foundry was cast the first twelve-foot-long 
pipe ever made in any country. 

The father of the above, Charles Ingham, was 
a native of Bradford, England. He was a fine 
mechanic, and understood thoroughly all kinds of 
work pertaining to the foundry business. His 
brother, John, who was also well up in the busi- 
ness and was manager of the Warren Foundry 
and Machine Company here, sent for him to come 
to this country and accept a position as foreman 
in the works here. Accordingly Charles Ingham 
crossed the Atlantic in 1867, and from that time 
until his death, February 8, 1889, was connected 
with the shops, and was quite a prominent man 
in Phillipsburg for years. He married, while in 
England, Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas 



Walmsley, manager of a large woolen mill in 
Bradford. She is still living, and is now in her 
sixty-fourth year. Her only other child is Bea- 
trice, who is unmarried and resides with her. 

J. Walter Ingham was born in the city of Brad- 
ford, England, June 2, 1856, and was but eleven 
years old when he came with his parents to 
America. He attended the public schools of 
Phillipsburg for about five years, becoming famil- 
iar with all the most practical elements of educa- 



tion. In li 



he was first connected with the 



Warren foundry, and learned the trade of a ma- 
chinist. He was promoted to the position of fore- 
man in 1S80, having served a long apprentice- 
ship, and proved himself to be fitted for the place 
in every way. Upon the death of his uncle he 
was made superintendent, and for the past five 
years has officiated in that capacity with great 
credit to himself. In politics he is a Republican. 
October 21, 1880, Mr. Ingham married Elmira 
Wagner, a daughter of Henry Wagner. They 
have three children: William, who is attending 
the Moravian Institute, at Bethlehem, Pa. ; Bertha 
and J. Walter, Jr. 



NOCH B. SUYDAM, a well-known business 
'S man of Pittstown, Hunterdon County, 
__ makes his home in Ouakertown, in the same 
township. His financial operations have been 
quite extensive and have not been confined to 
this particular locality. For years he has trans- 
acted a large commission business, being con- 
nected with a substantial firm in New York 
City, in which metropolis some of his busy 
life has been passed. In a political way he 
stands high in this, his native county, and is 
counted on as one of the most effective workers 
in the ranks of the local Democracy. For four 
years he acceptably filled the office of clerk and 
was township committeeman during a period of 
ten years. Then for eight years he served as 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



323 



township treasurer, and in each and all of these 
places of responsibility and trust he proved him- 
self worthy of the people's confidence in every 
particular. 

The eldest son in a family of eleven children, 
E. B. Su3'dam was born December 19, 1S49, in 
Raritan Township, his parents being Jacob and 
Nancy (Hartpence) Suydam. The other brothers 
and sisters were as follows: Samuel M., a well- 
to-do farmer of this county; Isaac, a commission 
merchant in Ouakertown, N. J.; Joanna, wife of 
Enos McPherson, of this county; Horace, who 
died in infancy; Julia S., wife of Edward Wilson, 
a farmer of this locality; Matilda, who married 
Thomas Halley, of Delaware Township, this 
county; Catherine, deceased; Taylor, a farmer of 
this county; Eliza H., a resident of Ouakertown; 
and Christopher C, a farmer of Delaware Town- 
ship. The father of this family was born, reared 
and always lived upon a farm. He resided in 
Raritan or Delaware Townships until his death, 
at the age of about threescore and ten years. 
He survived his first wife, who died when fifty- 
three years of age, and later married Catherine 
Happock, by whom he had two children. He 
was a member of the Baptist Church and politi- 
cally was a Democrat. His parents were of old 
county families here, and of Holland extraction. 

E. B. Suydam continued to live with his father 
on the old farm until he was of age, when he 
began clerking in a general store in Quakertown. 
At the end of a year he went to Flemington, and 
after clerking for a time, entered a business col- 
lege in Trenton, N. J. His next venture was in 
the fruit business in Scranton, Pa., and after a 
few years' experience in managing a store he 
went to New York City, in 1876, and was inter- 
ested in a general produce and commission house 
five years. Another twelve mouths he passed in 
Pittstown, and returning to the great metropolis, 
was manager of a branch fruit and produce firm 
there for a year. Nine years followed, in which 
time he was a member of the firm of Kilby & 
Suydam, who had stores in the old market and 
on Washington street. Selling out his share in 
the enterprise, Mr. Suydam has since been con- 



nected with Porter C. Little, of Pittstown, in 
the grain and fertilizer business, the firm title 
being Suydam & Little, and he is also one of the 
New York firm of G. Ferman & Co., in the com- 
mission trade. 

June 23, 1877, occurred the marriage of Mr. 
Suydam and Miss Alice M. Agans, a native of 
the township. They have two daughters, Viola 
and Leila, both at home with their parents. 



-5 0^®(ili)®I*C;« «—H — — 



7JASPER E. APGAR, one of the most hon- 
C ored citizens and business men of Califon, 
*J Hunterdon County, was called to his re- 
ward April 27, 1893. He was then in the prime 
of vigorous manhood, his plans and hopes being 
at the fullest tide of success and his life bright 
with promise of yet greater things. In all mat- 
ters that concerned the community in which his 
useful career had been spent he was active and 
thoroughly interested, doing more than his fair 
share in the work of progress and advancement 
of the public good. Thus, when the relentless 
angel of death claimed him, the blow was a very 
sad one, not only to the hosts of sincere friends 
to whom he was endeared by a thousand associa- 
tions, but to the neighborhood in general. His 
memory is tenderly cherished in the hearts of 
scores who learned to love him for his sterling 
traits of character, his loftiness of aim and his 
genuine regard for the rights of others. 

The birth of Mr. Apgar occurred on the old 
family homestead at Mount Grove, near Cokes- 
bury, Hunterdon County, April 11, 1850. He 
was the eldest of five sons and a daughter whose 
parents were Emanuel and Hannah (Hildbrant) 
Apgar. The others were James, who is a farmer 
near Fairmount, N. J.; Benjamin, a farmer in 
the vicinity of Port Murray, N. J.; Matthias, 
who was burned to death in the Mound Grove 
schoolhouse many years ago; Fannie, wdio has 
never married and makes her home with her 



3-'4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



mother in Fairmount; and Jacob E., of Middle 
Valley. The boyhood of our subject passed quiet- 
ly and without unusual event on the old farm, 
his education being such as the district school 
afforded. He made the very best of his advan- 
tages, however, and was such an apt student that 
he was in charge of a school for two years prior 
to reaching his majority. At twenty he entered 
into partnership with Peter Philhower, in a mer- 
cantile business, which they carried on with 
profit until the spring of 1874. 

The business was then moved from Cokesbury, 
the former location, to Califou, and in 1877 Mr. 
Apgar retired from the firm. He then turned 
his attention to the buying and selling of timber 
land, to the cutting of lumber, telegraph poles, 
etc. He procured a portable mill and did much 
of his own sawing, moving his mill from one 
tract of his timber to another. This enterprise 
was his chief line of business until his death, and 
by industr}' and careful investments he had ac- 
cumulated a comfortable fortune by that time. 
He owned two valuable farms, one in Morris 
County. This place comprises one hundred and 
eighty acres, and was stocked and operated by 
himself. The other farm, of about the same size 
and situated at Port Murray, Warren County, he 
rented to tenants. He was a man of marked 
financial ability, successful in the majority of 
his undertakings, because they were usually 
plans of wisdom and foresight, and above all, he 
was never grasping or overreaching. He gave 
his support to the Republican party but was in 
no sense of the word a politician. 

February 13, 1873, a marriage ceremony per- 
formed by Rev. I. A. Blauvelt united the desti- 
nies of Mr. Apgar and Mary E. Neighbour. She 
was born in Califou, N. J., January 9, 1850, and 
by her union with our subject became the mother 
of one sou, Edsou, born November 23, 1873. 
Mrs. Apgar is a daughter of Conrad R. and Mary 
H. (Sharp) Neighbour, well-known and re- 
spected citizens of this county. Mrs. Apgar and 
her dutiful and affectionate son reside in the 
pretty home that has been theirs for a number of 
years, in the town of Califou. He seems to have 



inherited his father's talent for business, and is 
carrying on the plans of his senior with ability. 
He completed his education in the Somerville 
classical school, where he remained for two 
years, after which he had entered upon an aca- 
demic course in Easton, preparatory to becoming a 
student in Lafayette College. His plans were in- 
terrupted by the death of his esteemed father, 
and he returned home to comfort his mother and 
to take up the work which his parent had just 
laid down. 

The funeral sermon at the home of Mr. Apgar 
over his mortal remains was preached from the 
beautiful text found in 1 Cor., 13 ch., 12 verse, 
Rev. S. H. Jones, who was the minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church of Califon at that 
time, officiating. Mr. Apgar was deepty interested 
in church work and was very liberal in his dona- 
tions to religious enterprises. When the new 
Methodist Episcopal Church was erected he was 
one of the foremost in the cause, and, in propor- 
tion to his means, certainly one of the most gen- 
erous of its members. He gave $1,000 outright 
to the new structure and before his death be- 
queathed $2,000 more to it. His benevolence 
and charity towards the poor and needy were 
among his lovable qualities, and it is safe to say 
that he had not an enemy, with cause, in the 
world. 



30HN HEFFERNAN, deceased, the late 
pleasant, accommodating proprietor of the 
Union House, in High Bridge, Hunterdon 
County, was a native of Ireland, and to that fact 
doubtless owed much of the good humor, wit and 
shrewdness which were among his marked char- 
acteristics. He fought the battle of life single- 
handed, as he began' as a poor boy and worked 
his way upward by his own independence, in- 
dustry and will-power. For six years after he 
bought the hotel, he operated it with ability, until 
the time of his death. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



325 



The birth of the above-named gentleman took 
place in Count} 7 Tipperary, December 23, 1833. 
When he was a lad of about twelve years he ac- 
companied his parents to America on a visit to his 
elder brother who had preceded them and had 
located in New Haven, Conn. Our subject re- 
mained with this brother, but made several trips 
to the Emerald Isle, in order that he might 
keep in touch with those he held dear, and re- 
newing the association of his boyhood. In 1857, 
while on one of these visits home, he accepted a 
position on the constabulary force of Dublin, and 
kept this office about three years. The attrac- . 
tions of America proving too much for him in the 
long run, he recrossed the ocean in i860. It hap- 
pened that he took passage in the Connaught, 
a fine vessel of the Galway line, sailing from the 
port of Galway. When about one hundred and 
fifty miles distant from that point the ship took 
fire, but the passengers were luckily rescued, 
being taken on board the Minnie Shaffer, a 
coasting brig from New York. 

Young Heffernan entered the New Haven ma- 
chine shops of New Haven in i860, with the in- 
tention of serving an apprenticeship to the black- 
smith's trade, but, not liking the business, he gave 
it up and found employment in the carriage de- 
partment of the same concern. Altogether he 
was there for a period of nine years, giving good 
satisfaction to his superiors and earning a repu- 
tation for faithfulness and attention to duty. In 
1S65, while on a trip looking for a place for future 
location, our subject met John O. Stevens, the first 
superintendent of the New Jersey Central Rail- 
road. That gentleman offered him a position as 
section boss from High Bridge out five miles, and 
when the road changed hands he was given the 
oversight of the track from Annandale toEaston. 
During this time the fill of one hundred and five 
feet in height and thirteen hundred feet long was 
made. 

In 1877 Mr. Heffernan built a pretty and com- 
fortable home in this town, and in 1892 opened 
the hotel which he afterward carried on. Every- 
thing about the hotel is neat and inviting to the 
traveler, excellent meals are served and the vari- 



ous apartments are homelike and restful. In his 
labors the proprietor was greatly aided by his wife, 
whose maiden name was Rose McCann. She 
was also born in Ireland, and by her marriage 
became the mother of five children. Of these 
Mary is the wife of Martin Erving, a machinist 
living in Junction; Margaret is the wife of James 
Martin, of Jersey City; Nellie is with her parents; 
William J. is an employe of the Taylor Steel and 
Iron Works; and Mark L. is now nine years old. 
The family are identified with the" Catholic 
Church. In his political views Mr. Heffernan is 
affiliated with the Democratic part} 7 , and frater- 
nally belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians. 



3 AMES HOFF is one of the prominent and 
highly respected residents of Ouakertown, in 
which place he has made his home for about 
twenty-five years. For years he has been a 
very active supporter of the Republican party 
platform, and is always much interested in 
whatever concerns the general public welfare. 
His personal worth and popularity have fre- 
quently been made manifest by the fact that he 
has been chosen to occupy local positions of 
responsibility and honor, and at all times and 
under all circumstances he has diligently striven 
to do his whole duty to his fellows. In 1S84 
he was elected collector of taxes for his home 
district, he then being a resident of Franklin 
Township. This position he continued to fill 
with credit for some five years. In 1888 he 
was appointed by Governor McClellan commis- 
sioner of deeds for Hunterdon County, and in 
1894 he was reappointed to this office. 

The father of the above-named gentleman, 
Thomas Hoff, was a native of Alexandria Town- 
ship, and passed his entire life in that district, 
his attention and labors being devoted to agri- 
cultural enterprises. He was an honest, indus- 
trious man, caring little for public life, never de- 



326 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sirous of office, and, beyond his own affairs, was 
chiefly concerned in the advancement of the pros- 
perity of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with 
which he was long identified as a zealous mem- 
ber, being one of its official board. He died at 
the age of fifty-seven years, regretted by a large 
circle of neighbors and acquaintances, whom he 
had endeared to himself by his sterling character. 
His father, Thomas Hoff, Sr. , was born near the 
boundary line of Franklin Township, and he, too, 
followed farming pursuits as a means of obtaining 
a livelihood. 

Thomas Hoff, the father of our subject, was 
twice married, his first wife having been Ade- 
laide, daughter of Christopher Little. After her 
death, Thomas Hoff married Ann Dalrymple, 
whose father was James Dalrymple. To this 
marriage there were born ten children, five of 
whom are living and as follows: Adelaide, wife 
of Joseph Rea; James; Samuel; Rachel, wife of 
George Anderson; and Lydia Ann, wife of Peter 
Snyder. The mother, who was a consistent mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and very 
active in all good works, died at the advanced 
age of eighty-six years. 

The subject of this review was born in the 
same township as was his father before him, the 
date of his birth being 1842. He remained at 
home, giving his parents his dutiful care and 
service, until he was twenty-four years of age, 
when he started out to make his own independent 
way in the world. He had acquired a good gen- 
eral education in the common schools and was 
fully equipped to meet the duties of farm man- 
agement. He continued to give himself up to 
agriculture for a few years, but in 1875 was con- 
strained to part with his farm, owing to his 
inability to longer engage in laborious work. 
The reason for this was disease in his left leg, 
rendering amputation necessary in 1878. Since 
the Centennial year he has lived in the village of 
Ouakertown. In 1879 he was elected by his 
friends to the office of justice of the peace, and 
has held the position for twenty years contin- 
uously. 

In 1865 James Hoff married Elizabeth C. Ste- 



venson, daughter of Samuel C. Stevenson. They 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Mr. Hoff has held various official positions in the 
congregation, such as steward, class-leader, 
superintendent of the Sunday-school, etc., and 
has been actively engaged in the advancement of 
the cause of Christianity for over forty years. 
The church which he attends was struck by light- 
ning August 4, 1895, while the people were com- 
ing from one of the services. Twenty-nine were 
injured and one killed; Mr. Hoff was struck by 
the lightning, and lay helpless for some time as 
a result. 



TEWART ANTHONY, though still in the 
prime of life, has acquired an ample com- 
petence for his future needs, and is now 
iving retired from the arduous duties that have 
hitherto occupied him. In 1896 he concluded to 
rent his valuable homestead, to which he had de- 
voted many of the best years of his life, and since 
that time has dwelt in Pittstown, where he has a 
pleasant home. 

As his surname would imply to the student of 
names, Mr. Anthony is of German descent, and 
possesses many of the most worthy characteristics 
that mark the sons of the Fatherland. He was 
born in 1853, in Morris County, near the border- 
line separating that county from Hunterdon. 
His father, Joseph H., was a blacksmith by trade, 
and followed that calling during his whole career. 
He was born in Hunterdon County, but moved 
across the boundary into Morris County, in his 
young manhood, and carried on a shop near 
Pleasant Grove. He died in 1856, leaving a 
widow and three small children. The mother 
was formerly Mary Beatty, her parents having 
been John and Elizabeth Beatty; and her three 
children were respectively: Louis, who died when 
about twenty-two years old; Stewart, of this 
sketch; and Elizabeth, who died in infancy. 
Mrs. Anthony is still living, her home being in 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



327 



Hackettstown, N. J., and is one of the most 
valued members of the Presbyterian Church 
there. The paternal grandfather of our subject 
was Paul Anthony, a farmer of this county, who 
lived to reach the extreme age of ninety years. 
His father was born in Germany. 

The boyhood of Stewart Anthony was passed 
with his mother and he was scarcely fifteen years 
old when he started forth to earn his own living 
by working on farms for neighbors. After he 
had reached his majority he went to New York 
City, and finding employment, stayed in that 
metropolis two years or more. The next two 
years he engaged in farming near Woodglen, 
Hunterdon County, and in 1878 he bought a 
homestead in Union Township. Here he gave 
his time and attention to the cultivation and im- 
provement of his farm for eighteen years, and in 
the spring of 1896, finding a suitable and reliable 
tenant, he rented it, and came to live in town. 

In 1S75 Mr. Anthony married Julia A. Ander- 
son, whose parents were Daniel and Mary 
(Anthony) Anderson. One child, a son, Lewis 
Anthony, now in Trenton, N. J. , was born to our 
subject and wife. She died in 1890, aged thirty- 
six years. The lady who now bears the name of 
our subject was Miss Maggie Little before her 
marriage. Her parents are Daniel and Sarah M. 
(Hoff) Little, of Frenchtown, this count}'. Mr. 
Anthony is a member of Bethlehem Presbyterian 
Church, and takes an active interest in promoting 
religious work and worth}- philanthropies. 



HON. JAMES E. MOORE, who was a mem- 
ber of the New Jersey senate for the three 
years from 1885 to 1887 inclusive, has held 
the position of collector for the Morris Canal in 
Phillipsburg, Hunterdon County, for the past 
seventeen years. He has been very prominently 
before the public time and again while serving 
in official capacities and stands very high in the 



general estimation. During the dark days of the 
war he became a citizen of this place and ever 
since that time, some thirty-five years ago, he has 
been thoroughly identified with the best interests 
of the town and concerned in its upbuilding and 
progress. 

The father of our subject was Adam Moore, 
who was born and lived in Morrisville, Pa. , where 
his forefathers have dwelt for a number of gene- 
rations. He was a hat manufacturer by occupa- 
tion and made a good livelihood for his family, 
which comprised his wife, Margaret, daughter of 
Phineas Ely, a Quaker of New Hope, Pa.; and 
their six children, only one of whom has been 
called to the silent land as yet. 

James E. Moore was born in the village of New 
Hope, Pa., July 16, 1841, and his educational 
advantages consisted of attending school more or 
less for about three years. He learned the cigar- 
maker's trade, but did not like the business and 
ultimately gave it up. At the first call for troops 
he enlisted in Company E, Third New Jersey 
Infantry, and served for the three months of his 
term. He then came to this town, taking a po- 
sition as a telegraph operator and acting as such 
from 1863 to November, 1875. At that time he 
was elected to the office of county clerk, and 
therefore was a resident of the county-seat, Bel- 
videre, for the succeeding five years, or until No- 
vember, 1880. In the spring following he came 
here as agent and collector for the Morris Canal 
Company, with which corporation he is at the 
present time. In April, 1867, he was honored 
for the first time in being called upon in a public 
position. He was elected town clerk, and con- 
tinued to occupy this post of trust until February, 
1876 (having been re-elected nine times), when 
he gave up the office in order to accept that of 
county clerk to which he had been elected. Dur- 
ing the years of 1891, 1892 and 1893 he was sec- 
retary of the board of managers of the state hos- 
pitals, and for three years he was a member of the 
board of education. 

In the fraternities Mr. Moore stands deservedly 
high, and is identified with about all of the local 
orders represented. With the Masons he has 



328 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



reached the Scottish Rite degree, is past master 
and past high priest and past district grand 
master. As a Knight of Pythias he ranks as past 
grand chancellor and past supreme representative 
and in the Ancient Order of United Workmen he 
also has been an official member. He has passed 
all the chairs in several other orders and is past 
grand and past chief patriarch of the Odd Fel- 
lows' society. 

December 3, 1868, Mr. Moore married Rebecca 
J. Person, daughter of Jacob Person, of this place. 
They have had four children, viz.: John C, who 
married Annie Smith and now resides in San An- 
tonio, Tex.; Elizabeth, wife of George M. Firth, 
of Phillipsburg, N. J.; Margaret and Harry B. 
The family has a pleasant home, and a generous 
hospitality has always radiated from its cheerful 
walls. 



•i^jsmS)®}*^* « — t- 



"HEODORE McPHERSON has been a life- 
long resident of Hunterdon County, and 
enjoys the genuine respect and high regard 
of all who know him. Born February 15, 1836, 
in Raritan Township, he is the youngest in a 
family of seven children, whose parents were 
Asa and Eliza (Porter) McPherson. The father 
came from a family which traces its ancestry 
back to Scotland, but his own father, Samuel, 
was a native of New Jersey, and here he was 
born February 2, 1798. Reared on a farm in this 
count}', he always devoted himself to agricultural 
duties and was particularly successful in the rais- 
ing of sheep. He was a man of strong, com- 
manding physique, and of equally superior men- 
tal abilities. His life was a busy and useful one 
and in his own community he was universally 
admired and loved. Late in life he became a 
Republican. He was actively concerned in the 
Presbyterian Church with which he was identi- 



fied. He attained more than the allotted years of 
man, as he was eighty-two at the time of his 
death. His wife, a native of Clinton Township, 
this county, died in January, 1864, at sixty-three 
years of age. 

Theodore McPherson is one of three surviving 
children, three of his brothers and sisters having 
died in infancy or when young. One brother, 
Samuel, is an enterprising farmer of this county; 
and Amos is a real-estate man in Sioux City, 
Iowa. Mary married William W. Conover, and 
is now deceased. Our subject was brought up 
on the farm in a practical way, and when 
quite young was familiar with the various kinds 
of farm work. From a long line of agricult- 
ural ancestors he inherited love for Nature and 
an out-door life, and many other qualities, such 
as industry, perseverance and fortitude, and 
by the steady exercise of these he has wrought 
out for himself a livelihood, and what is far bet- 
ter, a name that is above reproach among his 
fellow-men. When he reached his majority he 
rented the old home place for several years, after 
which he purchased the farm which he has since 
cultivated, this place lying in Franklin Township. 
This farm comprises one hundred and sixty-eight 
acres and is well adapted to the raising of ordi- 
nary cereals, etc., and is especially valuable for 
the growing of fine fruit. 

In his political views Mr. McPherson is a Re- 
publican. Better facilities for the young in the 
line of education is one of his favorite ideas, and 
for two years he served as a school trustee for 
his own district. He has held other local offices, 
such as that of registrar of the township, but he 
has never been desirous of holding public posi- 
tions. With his wife he holds membership with 
the Presbyterian Church, the church of his fore- 
fathers, and during the past decade he has been 
an elder in the congregation. January 25, 1866, 
he married Annie Stout, of Union Township, 
Hunterdon Count)-, and their only son, Asa, is 
with them on the farm, and is of great assistance 
to his father in the management of the place. 
He married Miss Lizzie Lair, of this township, 
and they have one daughter, Florence. 




J. H. BEATTY. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



331 



3ACOB H. BEATTY. The municipal in- 
terests of Hackettstown, under the super- 
vision of the mayor, Mr. Beatty, are very 
carefully guarded and intelligently conserved. 
Measures tending to the advancement of the 
place are encouraged, as well as those plans that 
promise to enhance its commercial importance. 
The people, appreciating the efforts of their 
mayor, elected him in 1897 to serve for a second 
term, and he is the present incumbent of the 
office. In addition, he is one of the successful 
business men of the city, and as a contractor 
has probably done more business than any other 
man in his line here during the past twenty 
years. 

Born in Lebanon Township, Hunterdon 
County, N. J., September 21, 1845, Mr. Beatty 
is a member of a family that has been represented 
in New Jersey for a number of generations, the 
first of the name to settle here having been his 
great-grandfather, James, a native of the north 
of Ireland. His father, Jacob P., was a son of 
John Beatty, both natives of Hunterdon County. 
During active life he followed the occupation of a 
huckster. Though not active in public affairs, 
he was always stanch in his allegiance to the 
Democratic party-. He died when about fifty 
years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden 
name of Catherine Hill, was born in Hunterdon 
County, and died here at eighty-five years of age. 
Of her three children one died when young; the 
elder of the surviving sons is David, a farmer of 
Morris County, this state. 

When a boy the subject of this article was a 
pupil in the local public schools. At the age of 
fifteen he began to work as a farm hand and con- 
tinued in that occupation until twenty, when he 
apprenticed himself to the stone, brick and 
plasterer's trade, serving at it for three years. 
Coming to Hackettstown, he worked at his trade 
for eight years in the employ of others, and then 
commenced independently as a contractor, since 
which time he has been one of the leading busi- 
ness men of the place. By his marriage to 
Elizabeth Curl, of Warren County, he is the 
father of five children, namely: Minnie; John C, 



who is a drug clerk in Connecticut; Mary, James 
Madison and Harry. 

As a supporter of Democratic principles, Mr. 
Beatty has been active and influential in local 
politics, and has been elected on the party ticket 
to a number of local offices of responsibility. In 
1887 he was chosen to serve as a member of the 
common council and while in that position was 
the first to advocate high licenses for hotels 
and saloons. In 1896 he was elected mayor and 
the following year was re-elected. He is prom- 
inent in the Masonic fraternity as a member of 
Independence Lodge No. 42, and is also actively 
identified with the Patriotic Order Sons of 
America and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. 



VyiOSES De WITT, who died at his home 
Y about three miles north of Phillipsburg, 
(f) Warren County, November 13, 1895, was 
a successful agriculturist and a representative cit- 
izen of the community in which he dwelt during 
his whole busy and useful life. At the time of 
his demise he was nearly eighty-two years of age, 
and he was ready to leave this vale of tears the 
more cheerfully on account of the fact that his 
loved wife, his friend and constant companion, 
had been called from his side some six years pre- 
viously. When in the prime of his manhood he 
served his fellow-citizens as assessor of his town- 
ship, and as a public servant was chiefly distin- 
guished for the part which he took in bringing to 
justice the famous "ring" politicians when he 
was a member of the board of freeholders of War- 
ren County. 

Moses De Witt was born in March, 1814, and 
received only an ordinary education, such an one 
as was offered by the schools of his boyhood, but 
he was pre-eminently one whose education does 
not stop with the school-room. His intellect de- 
veloped steadily all along his life, as he was a 



332 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



great student and reader, and, as one of his most 
intimate friends was wont to remark, " his com- 
panions were the great men of all ages, the states- 
men, authors and soldiers of modern lands, par- 
ticular!}' of America, being admitted to his closest 
friendship." The fact that many of these men 
had, like himself, been afforded no special ad- 
vantages in the way of classical or collegiate ed- 
ucation was one that made them doubly his 
brothers, and he came to the conclusion that the 
so-called higher training was not of real benefit; 
that the genius or talent of a man would come to 
the front without such supplementary props. 
Matters relating to our government and progress, 
measures of state and diplomacy excited his live- 
liest interest, and it would have been extremely 
difficult to find one better posted on all such lines 
of current history than he. He was a very enter- 
taining conversationalist, possessing a fund of 
anecdotes and illustrations which embellished his 
discourse, and his read}' wit and brightness of 
description are well remembered by his associates 
and hosts of friends. 

Though he never connected himself with any 
denomination Mr. De Witt was a practical Chris- 
tian, putting into daily operation the highest 
principles of conduct that could animate any man. 
He was thoroughly in love with the good, the 
true, the upright and just; and all shams, frauds, 
deception and dishonesty were hardly endurable 
to him. He was too generous and kindly by na- 
ture to become wealthy; his purse and time were 
too freely used for the benefit of the needy for him 
to lay aside a fortune. But such is the highest 
kind of Christianity, and it has not a few times 
appeared to the philosophers of the ages that a 
man who was thoroughly in sympathy with his 
fellow-men could not possibly become rich, or, in 
the event of wealth being bequeathed to him, 
could he long continue to hoard it while the cries 
of the suffering and needy were ever in his ears. 

Never- failing hospitality was one of the distinct- 
ive characteristics of Mr. De Witt, and in this he 
was ably seconded by his good wife, who was in 
her girlhood Deuora Eommasson. His home was 
cheerful and tastefully furnished, being abundant- 



ly supplied with books and the leading journals 
of the day. Among the latter was a religious 
paper in whose pages was always printed Tal- 
mage's sermons, which he took great delight in 
perusing. He was a great admirer of the learned 
divine, who may be said to have been the real 
spiritual adviser of our subject. Mr. DeWitt 
attended the Upper Harmony Presbyterian Church 
to some extent and was placed to rest in the cem- 
etery adjoining the sacred edifice. 



gjEORGE M. RINEHART is one of theinflu- 
— ential agriculturists of Hunterdon County, 
^Jj his home having been for nearly forty years 
in Clinton Township, about half a mile west of 
the village of Cokesbury. Here he owns a valu- 
able farm of one hundred and eight acres, and 
gives his time and attention to raising a general 
line of cereals, fruit and live-stock. He has been 
very successful, having begun his business life 
without means, and by his own individual efforts, 
perseverance and economy has acquired a com- 
fortable fortune. He has taken an interested part 
in public affairs, and has held most of the local 
offices, including that of freeholder, and in 1896 
was elected justice of the peace of High Bridge 
Township proper. He is a good citizen, a true 
friend and neighbor, and is respected by all who 
have ever had any dealings with him. 

Born February 18, 183S, our subject is a son 
of John and Jane (Moore) Rinehart, natives of 
Morris and Hunterdon Counties, respectively. 
Some time after their marriage this worthy couple 
removed to this county, buying land near New 
Germantown, and there they spent the remainder 
of their lives. The father was very successful in 
his financial enterprises, and after his death his 
estate amounted to over $50,000 on its settlement 
in 1895. His father, Martin, was a native of 
Morris County, and he in turn was a son of God- 
frey Rinehart, who was of German birth, and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



333 



emigrated from the Fatherland to Morris Count}', 
N. J., where he lived thenceforth. During the 
Civil war John Rinehart was very active in rais- 
ing substitutes and funds for the Union cause, 
and was what was then known as a war Demo- 
crat. His brother Peter w r as a hero of the War of 
1812, and laid down his life for his country. 
John Rinehart was an influential member of the 
local Lutheran Church, giving liberally of his 
means to its support. 

To the marriage of John and Jane Rinehart ten 
children were born, and not one of the number 
has been removed by death. All of the sons 
and sons-in-law are well-to-do farmers, each liv- 
ing upon his own homestead, and all useful citi- 
zens of the several communities in which they 
dwell. They are as follows: Martin, a farmer of 
Somerset County; Catherine, wife of Henry C. 
Hoffman, of Tewksbury Township; Mary A., 
wife of James Fisher, of Tewksbury Township; 
George M.; John, a farmer of Tewksbury Town- 
ship; David, of Clinton Township; Joseph E. 
and William, of Somerset County; Emma, wife 
of Peter Dane, of Tewksbury Township; and 
Charles, of the same township. 

George M. Rinehart was an infant when his 
parents came to this county, and his youth was 
spent on the old homestead. He attended the 
public schools and early learned the practical 
side of agriculture. November 14, 1861, he mar- 
ried Hannah C. Alpaugh, daughter of Conrad 
and Mary (Sutton) Alpaugh. They commenced 
housekeeping on one of the farms owned by the 
wife's father, and have always resided on this 
place since. In 1879 Mr. Rinehart purchased 
the farm, and has since materially improved it 
by adding good buildings, fences, etc. , and has 
greatly increased its value in many ways. For 
some time he was interested in dairying, but now 
follows general farming. The union of himself 
and good wife has been blessed with four chil- 
dren: William C, who is engaged in farming in 
this county; Emma, wife of Edgar W. Farley, of 
Somerset County, an employe of the New Jersey 
Central Railway Company; Charles, now assist- 
ing his father in the management of the home 



farm; and Jennie, who is still at home. Frater- 
nally our subject is a member of the Odd Fellows 
and Masonic orders, and in politics is a Democrat. 
He has long been an official member of the 
Cokesbury Presbyterian Church, and has been an 
elder for years. 



~)EV. CHARLES G. BIKLE was born No- 
rf vember 14, 1871, at Smithsburg, Md., a son 
\ of John L. and Georgia V. Bikle. He at- 
tended the public schools and the academy at 
Hagerstown, Md., graduating from the latter in 
1888. In the fall of the same year he entered 
Gettysburg College, at Gettysburg, Pa., from 
which he graduated in 1892 with the degree of 
A. B. While in college he was a member of the 
Phrenakosmian Literary Society and the Alpha 
Tan Omega Fraternity. He entered the Luth- 
eran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in the 
fall of 1892 and graduated in 1895, receiving at 
the same time from Gettysburg College the de- 
gree of A. M. In November of 1895 he became 
pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of 
Spruce Run, N. J. 

The history of this church is best told in an 
historical sermon, delivered by Mr. Bikle one 
year after he accepted its pastorate. We quote 
from it as follows: 

" 'A people which takes no pride in the noble 
achievements of remote ancestors will never 
achieve anything worthy to be remembered by 
remote descendants,' says Macaulay, and one 
greater than Macaulay has written from his ex- 
perience and observation, 'The glory of children 
is their fathers. ' It is in this spirit that we under- 
take to recall to your minds the struggles and 
success of the past in the history of this congre- 
gation, hoping that the record of the past may 
not only kindle in our hearts gratitude, but that 
by it we may be inspired to make every effort in 
order that its future may be worthy of its past. 
The first record of preaching service held in this 



334 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



community is dated 1775, when on every fourth 
Sunday Rev. Graaf, then pastor at German 
Valley and New Germautown, preached to the 
people who gathered in the barn owned by Fred- 
erick Fritts and now the property of Andrew 
Van Syckle. Here for twenty-five years these 
faithful men and women heard the Word of God 
proclaimed by the friend and student of the great 
and gifted Muhlenburg, the founder and organizer 
of the Lutheran Church in America. 

"Rev. Graaf was pastor until 1808 and was 
evidently a believer in infant baptism, for he 
baptised three hundred and twenty-two before 
the church was built and seventy afterwards. 

"In the year 1800 a church building necessary 
to show permanence and thus win the confidence 
of the community was decided to be desirable. 
Plans were completed and the building com- 
menced in the first year of this century. 

"Tice Crater, grandfather of our own William 
Crater, gave an acre of land upon which the 
church could be erected. James Force was 
another liberal contributor. These two were 
Presbyterians, and they in connection with the 
Lutherans, among whom were the Bangharts, 
Andrew, Abram and Thomas and George Fritts, 
worked harmoniously together in completing the 
structure. The church thus became a union 
church and remained so for thirty-five years. 

"The building was a frame one painted red 
and was known as the Red Church. Back of it 
was a cemetery, the oldest record on any of its 
tombstones being: George Banghart, December 
31, 1S06, aged sixty-three years. On the interior 
of the church building were galleries on two sides 
and in the rear, each row of seats being a step 
higher than the one in front of it; the pulpit, of 
course, was after the style of Colonial days, a box 
style perched high in the air, and reached by 
means of winding stairs. The music, on ac- 
count of which people were drawn from far and 
near to the church, was under the direction of 
George Fritts, father of our neighbor, Joseph 
Fritts. In those days there was no organ, but 
even without it the grand old tunes that never 
die were inspirations both to minister and people. 



One of his favorite tunes was Peterborough, still 
a favorite with this congregation. The ministry 
of Rev. Graaf ended in the year 1808, eight j'ears 
after the building of the church, and after thirty- 
three years of faithful service. 

"The second pastor of the three combined 
churches was Ernest Lewis Hazelius, who be- 
came the pastor in August, 18 15. He was a very 
learned and devout Christian man and, after leav- 
ing those congregations, became professor of theol- 
ogy in the first Lutheran seminary established in 
this country, viz. : Hartwick Seminary. After- 
wards he became professor at Gettysburg and then 
at Lexington, S. C. 

"February 12, 1810, a meeting of representa- 
tives of the three congregations was held at 
which the following resolution was passed: 

' ' 'Resolved, That the one-fourth of the parson- 
age known as the Glebe land, belonging to the 
hitherto united four Lutheran congregations of 
New Germantown, German Valley, Spruce Run 
and Plukamiu shall hereafter belong to Spruce 
Run Congregation; Plukamin having in the 
meantime died away. ' 

"At the same meeting Spruce Run Congrega- 
tion paid into the hands of Andrew Bardies $100, 
that being their share toward the repairs of the 
parsonage property at New Germantown. 

"Under this ministry, in 1810, the congregation 
was fully organized by the election of trustees, 
the following notice for that meeting having been 
posted on the church door: 

' ' 'advertisement. 

" 'The Lutheran Congregation of Spruce Run 
are hereby invited to attend on Monday, the 26th 
of May, 1810, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, for 
the purpose of electing seven trustees for the said 
congregation, according to an act of the Legisla- 
ture passed the 13th day of June, 1799. 

" 'Ernest Hazelius.' 

"At that meeting the trustees elected were: 
Daniel Anthony, Frederick Fritts, Jr., William 
Fritts, Philip Anthony, Christopher Martinis, 
John Reinhard and Andrew Miller. 

"An interesting item in connection with this 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



335 



meeting was the election of 'George Fritts and 
Richard Crozat for the purpose of keeping order 
in the meeting house at the time of public wor- 
ship.' Their duty was, I believe, to waken those 
whose unconscious slumbers put them beyond the 
minister's influence and disturbed the solemnity 
of the service. Do we need them? 

"Although seven trustees were elected, the 
names of only six are on the articles of incorpo- 
ration, and thus it is filed in the clerk's office at 
Flemington. This document bears a seal of red 
wax. 

"Under the ministry of Rev. Hazelius there 
were ninety-eight children baptized, on one occa- 
sion a family of five children whose ages ranged 
from one to thirteen. On another occasion six 
children of one family received this sacrament. 
The people still held to the good old doctrine of 
infant baptism. His pastorate ended in 1815. 

"The next pastor was David Hendricks, who 
served the congregation from i8i6to 1822. He 
was a graduate of Union College, New York, and 
went from this charge to Saddle River, N. J. 
From his records he baptized in the three con- 
gregations ninety-eight children, and eighty-six 
of these are credited to Spruce Run Congrega- 
tion. 

"Then began the ministry of Rev. Henry 
Pohlman. He was elected by the three congre- 
gations on the 12th, 13th and 14th of August, 
1S22, and at a union meeting of the congregations 
on the 1 8th a call was extended and was ac- 
cepted. 

"Rev. Pohlman has the distinction of being 
the first student to enter and to graduate from 
Hartwick Seminary, and was there under the 
professorship of another former minister of this 
congregation — Rev. Hazelius. 

' 'Of this pastor some of you have distinct recol- 
lection. It was under his ministry in this state 
that the Rev. David Kline was converted, and by 
him regarded as his spiritual father, having been 
confirmed and ordained by him. Thus there 
seems to be a line of affection and influence run- 
ning through the lives of the different ministers 



who have served this congregation, which made 
their labors doubly strong. 

"Pastor Pohlman was noted for his strong 
common sense, his unswerving devotion to the 
truth, and his untiring energy in every church 
work. His influence was not limited to the con- 
gregation which he served, but was felt in wider 
circles. Few men are to-day more widely known 
in the Lutheran Church than your former pastor, 
Henry N. Pohlman. He was president of the 
New York and New Jersey Synod, of the New 
York Synod, and three times president, of the 
General Synod of the United States. 

' 'Under his ministry the church here began to 
strengthen. His first communion list shows an 
increase of nine in attendance, and during his 
pastorate of eleven years he baptized one hundred 
and sixty-three. Rev. Pohlman owned a beautiful 
white horse by the name of Charlie and he often 
related that the horse while conveying him to his 
appointment would occasionally take the liberty 
to stop. His master would then begin to sing 
Old Hundred and the horse would move off quite 
lively. 

"Rev. Pohlman's connection with this church 
was dissolved in 1833, when it was deemed best 
that the Spruce Run Congregation should become 
independent. The territor}' at that time was too 
extensive for one man to supervise and minister 
to, and the congregation under Rev. Pohlman 
having increased to over one hundred, a separate 
call was issued from Spruce Run Congregation 
to Rev. Robert Collyer, who accepted it, and on 
the 2d of September, 1834, became the first pastor 
of the church as an independent organization. 

"For fifty-nine years it had been identified 
with the sister churches of Germantown and 
German Valley, and now, having reached man- 
hood, or ought we to say womanhood, it pro- 
ceeded to exercise the privileges which this man- 
hood afforded. 

"Soon the desire became strong for a new 
church to supplant the old one which had done 
service for thirty years, and a movement was 
started by the pastor to that end. It was success- 
ful, as is seen by reference to the proceedings of a 



336 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



stated meeting of the congregation held in the 
old church on March 5, 1835. Among those 
who were present were: Morris Fritts, Andrew 
and Abram Banghart, Philip Crater, Leonard 
Hipp, George Fritts, Jacob Vosler, Daniel Cast- 
ner, Thomas Hunt, D. Peter, F. Baylor and 
others. 

"The land for the new church was bought of 
Daniel Castner, to the left of the old church prop- 
erty and near where the middle gates of the old 
cemetery now stand. H. S. Farley was the 
builder. Benjamin Fritts had charge of the 
stone work and the walls were a testimony to 
what he considered the proper way to build a 
church, and like Solomon of old, who built the 
temple of cypress trees, which last a thousand 
years, so did Father Fritts place the stone walls 
to stay, and after thirty-six years of service and 
exposure they could hardly be torn down. 

"This second was a stone church, 55x40 feet, 
and its service was made famous by the singing 
of the large choir under the leadership of Thomas 
Banghart. Here for the first time musical in- 
struments were introduced into the service; the 
first ones being a clarinet and a bass violin, after- 
ward an organ. Under the inspiration of the 
choir and the gifted leader, the congregation 
sang, and even to-day you hear reports of the 
grand singing of Uncle Tom Banghart and his 
choir. He led the choir for twenty-eight years. 

"We might philosophize or moralize a little 
here. Under the inspiration of the new building, 
the consecrated preacher, and the fine music, the 
congregation took on new life and increased in 
membership. Rev. Collyer labored somewhat at 
a disadvantage, the parsonage at that time being 
what is now the homestead of Isaiah Bryan. 
This new church was built as a Lutheran church, 
the Reformed and Presbyterian part of the congre- 
gation having in part been absorbed by the Luth- 
erans after the withdrawal of their minister, Rev. 
Wack, who for some time had held services on 
alternate Sundays for the Reformed and Presby- 
terian members of the congregation. 

"During the great revival of 1840 under Rev. 
Pohlmau, the Rev. Lambert Swackhamer began 



a campaign of preaching in this district and 
soon centered his operations at Mount Bethel, 
where he organized a congregation, and in 1844 
succeeded in putting up the present building — the 
builder being Frederick Swackhamer — and even 
to this day it is by some called the Swackhamer 
or the Swack Church. After the departure of 
Rev. Swackhamer, the congregation having be- 
come involved in debt, the building was sold to 
Moore Castner, whose property it remained for 
a short while, when it was bought by the Albright 
Methodists. Their efforts to build up a congre- 
gation were unsuccessful, neither could the}* pay 
the debt on the church, and it again became the 
property of Moore Castner and was in his name 
until 1S68. 

"In i860 Rev. Peter Strobel became pastor. 
He was elected at a congregational meeting held 
June 10. The installation sermon was preached 
by Rev. H. Pohlman, a former pastor. Rev. 
I. C. Duy, of New Germantown, gave the charge 
to the pastor and the Rev. William Strobel, a 
brother, delivered the charge to the congregation. 
Rev. A. Hiller, of German Valley, conducted 
the introductory service. Thus were the three 
divided sisters united at this installation. The 
audience was large and the occasion one of deep 
solemnity and interest. 

"October 30, 1864, Rev. Strobel severed his 
connection with the Spruce Run Congregation, 
although he continued his labors until the end 
of November. The record further states that 
'At my recommendation the congregation has 
given a call to my friend, Rev. David Kline, of 
Brunswick, N. Y.;' the wisdom of the change 
had been discussed by the two ministers at the 
meeting of the General Synod held at York, Pa., 
in 1864, the question of exchange having met 
the approval of both. 

"During the pastorate of Rev. Strobel the con- 
gregation took large strides in membership. At 
one communion, held January 6, 1861, thirty- 
seven members were added by confirmation. 

"A very interesting item connected with the 
history of this church is that after the dissolution 
of the connection between the New York and New 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



337 



Jersey Synod and the separate formation of the 
New Jersey Synod, the first meeting of the latter 
was held in this church October n, 1861, and its 
first president was the Rev. H. Kline, the fourth 
pastor of this church, and the delegate from this 
congregation was John A. Fritts. 

"The correspondence between the congregation 
and Rev. Kline resulted in his receiving a call 
and he began his pastoral work here in December, 

1864. He was installed ou the 8th of February, 

1865. At his first communion there were over 
one hundred members who received the sacra- 
ment, and on May 20 there were forty-six ad- 
mitted to membership, this being the largest 
number ever admitted at one time in this church. 

"During his pastorate Rev. Kline added to the 
church one hundred and twenty and baptized 
eighty-four. His attention was centered and he 
determined to work on the neglected district 
at Mount Bethel, where the old Swackhamer 
Church yet remained, the property of Moore 
Castner. His Christian earnestness, together 
with his Lutheran pride, led him until on May 
14 he organized Mount Bethel as a Lutheran 
Church. The first trustees were: George Bang- 
hart, William R. Prall, Conrad Davis, Benjamin 
Johnson and Peter C. Apgar. The next year 
the property was purchased for $500 and a deed 
given to the Evangelical Lutheran S}'nod of New 
Jersey for the house and cemetery; the Synod 
having advanced $300 of the amount necessary, 
and the Synod yet holds the deed for the prop- 
erty. This was a good work begun by the Rev. 
Kline and continued by the Rev. Traver, the last 
recorded meeting being at the end of the latter' s 
pastorate, January 12, 1885, when the last trust- 
ees elected were: John Smith, Jacob Terriberry, 
Isaiah Bryan, Watson Banghart and Joseph B. 
Fritts. During the pastorate of Rev. Kline the 
growing needs of an increasing congregation de- 
manded a new church building and subscription 
papers were circulated for the building of a 
church at Spruce Run or at Clarksville. Before 
the papers were handed in it was determined to 
build at each place a new church and the follow- 
ing resolution was passed: 



"That each person having subscribed toward 
the erection of a Lutheran Church either at Spruce 
Run or at Clarksville, before it was determined 
to build a church in each place, be permitted to 
erase his name from the subscription where it now 
is if he so desires to do, that he may subscribe the 
same or more if he choose to aid in building the 
church to be erected where he prefers having it. 
' 'The corner stone of the new church — the 
third in the history of the congregation and the 
one in which we are now worshipping, was laid 
July 30, 1870. Again the services of Dr. Pohl- 
man, the old friend and former pastor of the con- 
gregation, were called for and he conducted the 
service with appropriate ceremony, and according 
to the account by the pastor 'It was a fine day, 
there was a large assemblage and everything 
passed off pleasantly and satisfactorily.' Upon 
the corner stone was cut this inscription: Spruce 
Run Evangelical Lutheran Zion Church, Erected 
A. D. 1870. 

' 'The old stone church was vacated on the 5th 
of March, 187 1, when Pastor Kline preached a 
sermon from the text II Cor., V chapter and 17 
verse, 'Old things have passed away, behold all 
things have become new. ' 

"The new church was dedicated March 9, 
187 1, by the friend of pastor and people, Dr. 
Pohlman. That makes this year besides being 
the anniversary of the present pastorate also the 
twenty-fifth anniversary of the building of the 
present church. 

"Rev. Kline was at a congregational meeting 
by vote given permission and was requested to 
give to the new congregation preaching every 
Sabbath evening or afternoon. 

' 'The lecture room of the church at Clarksville 
was dedicated and the officers installed by Rev. 
Kline. On the 6th of June, 1874, the congrega- 
tion became an organization separate from the 
mother church altogether and elected a pastor of 
its own. At the same time a new call from this 
church with an increase in salary was given to 
Pastor Kline, which he accepted. 

"On November 4, 1877, the pastor preached a 
stirring sermon 011 the parable of the virgins, lay- 



333 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ing particular stress upon the foolishness of the 
five thoughtless ones. He felt ill ofter the serv- 
ice and did not have an afternoon meeting as was 
his custom, and before the sun rose on a new day 
he had gone to his deserved rest and reward, 
followed with the benedictions of loving friends. 

"The succeeding pastor was Chester H. 
Traver; many of you know him and happy have 
been all the references concerning him which I 
have heard since I have been here. He was the 
only one of your pastors I have personally known. 
He was elected January 6, 1878, and remained as 
pastor until May 23, 1885. During his time of 
seven years he admitted eighty-seven to member- 
ship and baptized thirty-four. It was during the 
administration of Rev. Traver that this congre- 
gation adopted the constitution for the govern- 
ment of churches connected with the New York 
and New Jersey Synod. 

"The next pastor was Rev. V. F. Bolton, who 
took charge of the congregation on October 1 , 
1885, and remained pastor until May 31; 1895. 
The present pastorate began November 3, 1895. 
During the year we have preached eighty-nine 
sermons, made twenty Wednesday evening ad- 
dresses; assisted at four funerals and conducted 
and preached at four others. We have added 
to the church twenty-eight members, making 
the present membership of one hundred and 
twenty-six, as reported to Synod. We have 
baptized eight children and eight adults; have 
buried one member, Wilson Warman; have lost 
three by letter. We have married three couples; 
made two hundred and one pastoral visits (not 
counting the twenty-six made during the two 
weeks of probation and criticism, which was a 
wonderful proof of your hospitality and a severe 
test of my endurance) , forty-five of which were 
calls on the sick. 

"We have come nearer raising the apportion- 
ment this year than any year since the church 
has been a member of the New York and New 
Jersey Synod, having reported at Synod as 
raised on the apportionment $123.42 and this in 
spite of evident financial distress. 

"Mount Bethel, closed for ten years, has opened 



its doors and services have been resumed and 
are held twice a month; the other two outposts 
have had preaching regularly once a month. 

"A Wednesday evening prayer service has 
been started. A Christian Endeavor Society 
organized has now fifty members; Sunday-school 
has added thirty-two new scholars and now num- 
bers nearly one hundred. The first catechetical 
class in ten years was organized and had twenty- 
three members; a long-needed cemetery has been 
purchased and is now ready for use. 

' 'Thus with the history of one hundred and 
twenty-one years back of us filled with the in- 
spiration that comes from the arduous labors of 
Graaf, the intellectual ability of Hazelius, the 
consecrated devotion of Pohlman and the earnest 
Christian character of Kline and the memory of the 
men and women in the pew, who have lived and 
labored, giving their hearts' best affection, their 
minds' best thought, and their hands' best help to 
the cause of Christ and the success of the church 
of Christ here established, we stand to-day, by the 
mercy and providence of God, at the entrance of 
new and grander opportunities and the call comes 
ringing down through the century: Be not false 
to your own best interests, to the welfare of the 
church and to the cause of Christ, but give 
Spruce Run Church the inspiration of 3-our life 
and energy, your prayer and purse, your loyalty 
and love, and with the Spirit as the great brood- 
ing power, there shall come as a result, a life 
whose influence shall quicken church and com- 
munity. Awake ! O Zion; put on thy strength; 
O arm of the Lord. ' ' 



—}- — •■>0{© ; K + C;» ' — >- 



[""RANCIS ASBURY APGAR, M. D. For 
j>) over twenty j'ears this prominent physician 
I of Hunterdon County has been engaged in 
practice in New Germantown. He enjoys the 
patronage of almost all of the leading families of 
this section, and is kept very busy. A deep 
student, he is constantly engaged in research, 




STIRKS FRITTS. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



34i 



takes the best journals devoted to medicine and 
practice, and is well posted in everything pertain- 
ing to the profession. 

Casper Apgar, grandfather of our subject, was 
born in the neighborhood of High Bridge, Hunt- 
erdon Count}', and was a farmer by occupation. 
He was twice married, his first union being with 
Elizabeth Best. His children were named as 
follows: Ann, wife of Daniel Seals, of High 
Bridge; Elizabeth, Mrs. John P. Sutton, of the 
same locality; Jacob B., Emanuel, John R. , 
Casper P. and Andrew. Casper P. is the father 
of the doctor and is still living. He has resided 
upon his present homestead in Washington 
Township, Morris Count}', N. J., ever since he 
was married. The lady he chose to share his 
joys and sorrows along the highway of life was 
formerly Rachel Philhower, who died in 1897. 
To this worthy couple eleven children were born. 
Only three sous and two daughters, however, 
attained mature years. Oakley, deceased, was 
engaged in the nursery business in Califon; 
Sarah Elizabeth is the wife of Peter B. Huffman, 
a farmer of Woodglen; Howard S. is managing a 
farm in Morris County and Hannah M. is the 
wife of Charles Hoffman, who is employed by the 
United States Express Company in Elizabeth. 
The father of these children has long been an 
active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
is a trustee and steward of the same, and, in ac- 
cordance with his principles of temperance, he is 
affiliated with the Prohibition party. 

Dr. F. A. Apgar was born upon his father's 
farm in Washington Township, Morris County, 
July 23, 1851. He received his early education 
in private schools, later he attended the Bellevue 
Hospital Medical College, and was graduated 
March 1, 1876. He immediately came to New 
Germantown, and here was initiated into the 
work of his chosen profession. He had very 
soon made a respected position for himself, and 
established a reputation for skill that brought 
him a constantly increasing clientage. He is 
now in his office but two hours a day, in the 
early morning, as his outside practice keeps him 
steadily on the go the remainder of the day, and 



often far into the night. He is the examiner for 
several of the leading life insurance companies. 
In his political faith he is a Prohibitionist. In 
the Methodist Episcopal Church where he holds 
membership he has been a trustee and is now one 
of the stewards. 

February 22, 1877, Dr. Apgar was married to 
Elmira Hester, whose father, Simon B. Fisher, 
is a well-known citizen of Hackettstown, N. J. 
The only child of the doctor and wife is Miss Ida 
Mabel, a graduate of Hackettstown Centenary 
Collegiate Institute. The family have a very 
pleasant home, bearing the evidences of the re- 
fined and literary tastes of its inmates. 



(7) TIRES FRITTS, who comes from one of the 
7\ old and respected families of New Jersey, 
\~) nas been a life-long resident of Hunterdon 
County, and is at present engaged in various 
mercantile enterprises in the village of Lands- 
down, Franklin Township. He is always actively 
concerned in whatever movements seem calcu- 
lated to advance and uplift the community in 
which he dwells, and does his whole duty as a 
citizen and voter, in the support of law and order 
and prosperity. 

The father of our subject* Joseph Fritts, was 
born in 1802, and grew to manhood and spent 
his whole life in Clinton Township, this county. 
From a business point of view he was very suc- 
cessful, as he became the owner of large and valu- 
able tracts of land and mills, in addition to man- 
aging his own farm with ability. In his political 
convictions he was a Democrat, and by his many 
friends and acquaintances was chosen to represent 
his district in the New Jersey state legislature in 
1840. He held many local offices at one time or 
another, and was a very public-spirited man. For 
years he was one of the most valued members of 
the Reformed Church in his home neighborhood . 
His busy and useful life was brought to a close 
when he had attained his seventy-seventh year. 



13 



342 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



His father, Charles Fritts, likewise achieved suc- 
cess, rising from being a poor " bound " boy to a 
position of respect and influence in the commu- 
nity. Joseph Fritts married Annie, daughter of 
' ' Squire ' ' Aller. She lived to the extreme age 
of ninety-one, dying in August, 1895. Of her 
nine children five are yet living, viz. : Mary, 
wife of David McCloughen; Joseph A., Stires, 
Emanuel and Oliver. 

The birth of Stires Fritts occurred in Clinton in 
1838. His boyhood was passed on a farm, and 
he continued to assist in the cultivation of the 
same until he was twenty-seven years of age. At 
that time he became interested in the manufac- 
ture of flax and husks, and operated a mill for 
that purpose during a period of twenty 3 r ears. 
This mill, situated in this township, has a capa- 
city of about one hundred and fifty tons of raw 
material per year. In 1885 Mr. Fritts sold out 
his interest in the mill property and embarked in 
his present enterprises, as dealer in coal, field 
seeds, fertilizer, peach baskets, etc. Unlike his 
father, he has never taken much active part in 
politics, and would never accept office, though he 
discharges his duty as a voter in accord with his 
convictions, the Democracy being the party of his 
preference. 

In 1864 Mr. Fritts married Margaretta Pro- 
basco, daughter of Theodore Probasco, and 
they have a son and daughter. Lizzie is the 
wife of Emley H. Deats, whose sketch is to 
be found elsewhere in this work. Elmer R., the 
only son, is at home with his parents. The 
family attend the Presbyterian Church, Mrs. 
Fritts being a member of the congregation. They 
are held in the highest respect by all who know 
them, and are numbered among the substantial 
and reliable people of this locality. 



3 MITCHELL REESE, M. D., president of 
the board of education in Phillipsburg, is one 
of the representative citizens of Warren 
County, and stands high in social, professional 



and business circles of this portion of the state. 
His influence and material aid are always given to 
the promotion of the welfare of his fellow-citizens, 
and that he is very popular with them is well 
manifested by the fact that though this is a 
Democratic locality, he has been kept for years 
in office as a member of the board of education, 
being elected on the Republican ticket. The sub- 
ject of better school advantages for the rising gen- 
eration is one in which all good citizens should 
be actively interested, as he believes, and in this 
direction lies the solving of many of the most 
serious questions that now confront us as a na- 
tion. For this reason, if no other, it is the duty 
of every patriot and lover of America to uphold 
the hands of those who are seeking to elevate 
the public-school system. 

A native of Phillipsburg, born July 27, 1858, 
Dr. J. Mitchell Reese has always been thoroughly 
interested in and identified with the progress and 
upbuilding of the town. His father, Adam 
Reese, was a man of great genius and executive 
ability, and, had he been afforded the opportun- 
ities for an education that are now open to every 
child at this day, he would have made a grand 
success of his life in a financial way. However, 
in spite of unusual difficulties which he en- 
countered, he was fairly prosperous, and was a 
man of undoubted influence. He established a 
plant in Phillipsburg for the manufacture of farm 
machinery and was a pioneer in this line. 
Among many other valuable inventions and 
improvements which he brought forth for the 
benefit of the world was the original self-raking 
harvesting machine, and the now rich and power- 
ful McCormicks owed much to his genius, as they 
bought some of his most practical patents, and 
proceeded to manufacture the machines that have 
since wrought a complete revolution in the 
methods of agriculture. He was very liberal and 
enterprising and Phillipsburg owes much to him. 
An ardent Republican, he was enthusiastic for 
the success of his party, but would never accept 
official honors. One of the founders and most 
active members of the First Presbyterian Church 
of this place, he occupied many of the official 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



343 



positions in its management and was a generous 
contributor to its work. His busy and useful life 
came to a close in June, 1897, ar) d with deep re- 
gret and earnest sense of loss his fellow-townsmen 
mourn his absence from the place he filled so long 
and well among them. His father and two uncles 
were earlj' settlers just across the Delaware River 
in Pennsylvania. The wife of Adam Reese, 
whose maiden name was Rachel Arnold, was a 
daughter of Thomas Arnold, of Easton, Pa. She 
died in 1884, and of their four children three sur- 
vive: the doctor; Alice, wife of William Ash- 
more, agent for the New Jersey Central, in this 
place; and Adam Reese, train dispatcher for the 
same corporation. 

Dr. J. Mitchell Reese, after completing his pub- 
lic-school education in Phillipsburg, was a student 
in Lafayette College, Easton, Pa. His inclina- 
tions seeming to lie in the direction of the prac- 
tice of the healing art, he took up preliminary 
work under the guidance of Dr. J. F. Shepherd, 
of this place, and graduated from Bellevue Hos- 
pital Medical College, New York City, in 1883. 
Since that time he has been actively engaged in 
practice here at his old home. He has been 
president of the Warren County Medical Society, 
and is still a member, and is connected with the 
Lehigh Valley Medical Association and the New 
Jersey Medical Society. Under the administra- 
tion of President Harrison he served four years 
as a member of the board of pension examiners 
for the fourth congressional district. For many 
years he has been surgeon for the Pennsylvania 
and Delaware, Lackawanna & Western lines at 
Phillipsburg. During a period of several years 
he was a member of the county Republican com- 
mittee and fourteen years has served as a mem- 
ber of the board of education, all but four years 
of this time having been its president. He be- 
longs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen 
and is medical examiner for the same. A Knight 
of Pythias, he has been very prominent in that 
order, having passed all the chairs, and now being 
a member of the Uniform Rank. The doctor 
was the captain of Ortygia Division three years, 
at the end of which time he was elected colonel 



of the Second Regiment, K. of P. , of the state. 
In February, 1896, he was further honored by 
being elected brigadier-general of the New Jer- 
sey Brigade, U. R. His uniformly agreeable 
and courteous manners and his pleasing person- 
ality win for him scores of friends wherever he 
goes, and his true and sterling worth is a mat- 
ter of general comment by those who know him. 
The marriage of Dr. Reese and Miss Emma 
Scammell, daughter of John Scammell, of Tren- 
ton, N. J., was solemnized in April, 1S95. Mrs. 
Reese comes of an old and honored family ; one 
of her ancestors is mentioned in history as an 
aide to General Washington. To the doctor and 
his estimable wife has been born a daughter, 
Dorothy Arnold. 



[3GJILLIAM KLINE, M. D., a well and favor- 
\A/ a ^ y known physician of Phillipsburg, 
Y V Warren County, is a worthy representative 
of one of the oldest and most respected families of 
New Jersey. His ancestors were natives of Ger- 
many and settled in Somerset County, N. J., in 
1720, since which time the Klines have been act- 
ively engaged in agricultural pursuits for the 
most part. The parents of Dr. Kline are William, 
Sr., and Elizabeth (Baker) Kline, the latter a 
daughter of Jacob Baker, of Northampton County, 
Pa. The father of our subject is a farmer of this 
county, and for fifteen years was collector of Lo- 
patcong Township. 

Dr. Kline is one of two children and was 
born in Harmony, Warren County, September 2, 
1865. In his boyhood he was a pupil in the pub- 
licschools, and in 1885 graduated from what isnow 
known as Easton Academy, after which he entered 
Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., for a two years' 
course. In the fall of 1S88 he matriculated in 
the medical department of the University of Penn- 
sylvania, graduating with the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine in 1891. He then remained at home 



344 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



two years, while in the meantime he looked 
around for a suitable place to locate permanently 
as a practitioner. In the spring of 1893 he be- 
gan his career as a member of the medical pro- 
fession in Phillipsburg, and during 1894 and 1895 
he was city physician. He has succeeded very 
well in building up a clientage and has won an 
enviable reputation for his ability in his chosen 
line of work. Formerly he was a member of the 
Red Men's order, and at present he is identified 
with the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent 
Order of Elks. In April, 1898, he was elected a 
member of the common council of the first ward 
as the candidate of the Democratic party. 

June 20, 1894, Dr. Kline married Caroline F. 
Flumerfelt, granddaughter of Jesse Flumerfelt, 
a prominent official of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company for many years. He was very well 
known in this section of the country, and was a 
man of superior business talents. The doctor and 
wife have one daughter, Frances E. They are 
very popular in the town, have a large circle of 
friends and enjoy entertaining them in their pret- 
ty and tasteful home. 



—•»©•!<•• — •— *- 



3 AMES BELFORD, a retired business man of 
Mauch Chunk, now residing in Belvidere, 
Warren Count}', has made his home here for 
about fourteen years, and enjoys the respect and 
high regard of all who know him. In 1894 and 
1895 he served as a member of the town council, 
having been elected to that office by his Demo- 
cratic friends. He has led a very busy and event- 
ful life, and richly deserves the rest and quiet 
which he now enjoys, as the result of the judi- 
cious management of his affairs and investments. 
The father of our subject was George Belford, 
of Scotch descent, and an extensive coal operator 
in Pennsylvania. He was a warm personal friend 
of Judge Packard, whom he appointed as his 
executor in his will. The history of Mr. Belford 



is that of an essentially self-made man, one who 
started out in his youth without means and fought 
his early battles for a livelihood against odds that 
would have discouraged any man who had not 
possessed strong determination to succeed, and 
rare talent as a financier. Prosperity came at last 
to crown his efforts, and at his death his estate 
was valued at nearly $500,000. To all worthy 
public enterprises and benevolent objects he was 
a liberal contributor, and though a Lutheran by 
preference, he held membership with the Presby- 
terian Church of Mauch Chunk. He died in 
1873, and his wife survived him about seven years. 
She was Miss Hannah Rhine Smith before their 
marriage, her family having been numbered among 
the first settlers of Germantown, Pa. The chil- 
dren of Mr. Belford and wife were named as fol- 
lows: Hiram, who resides in Allentown; James; 
Selinda, wife of Edward Shorts, a prominent law- 
yer of Wilkesbarre, Pa. ; Edward, of Belvidere; 
Harriet, wife of Clemson T. North, of Wilkes- 
barre; Nathan M., of Bergen Point, N. J.; 
Charles, of Philadelphia; and Annie, wife of A. 
W. Booth, of Bergen Point. 

James Belford was born in Mauch Chunk, Pa., 
July 8, 1836, and after completing his preliminary 
education in the public schools attended Vande- 
veer's Academy, at Easton, Pa. In 1854 he en- 
tered the employ of the Lehigh Coal and Navi- 
gation Company in the engineering corps, as- 
sisting in the survey of the Lehigh Canal, and 
Catasauqua & Fogelsville Railroad. Subse- 
quently he took charge of the company's coal 
office at Mauch Chunk for a year. He was next 
with the German PennaCoal Company, of Mauch 
Chunk and was in charge of their shipping de- 
partment for seventeen years. In 1S72 he as- 
sumed the management of his father's store at 
Ackley, Pa., remaining there for two years, at 
the expiration of which period he retired from 
business cares. He had located in Belvidere the 
previous year, and has since been a citizen of the 
place. While in Mauch Chunk he joined the 
Masonic order, but has not been active in the 
same for a number of years. 

June 21, 1S59, Mr. Belford married Ellen B. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



345 



Hutchinson, who died in 1881, and left two chil- 
dren: Dianna Sherlock, now the wife of Edmund 
H. Carhart, of Belvidere; and Richard, who is at 
home. The father of Mrs. Belford, Samuel 
Hutchinson, was for thirty years cashier of the 
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. In June, 
1883, Mr. Belford married Mrs. Julia B. Simpler. 
Her father, Joseph Mackey, a soldier of the late 
war, and still living, has reached the extreme age 
of ninety-six years. By her previous marriage, 
Mrs.- Belford had one son, Claude A., a graduate 
of Girard College, aud now holding a very responsi- 
ble position in the land department of the Land, 
Title and Trust Company of Philadelphia. Mr. 
aud Mrs. Belford attend the Presbyterian Church. 
Politically he is a Democrat of conservative ten- 
dencies. 



Gl BRAM R. VAIL, one of the honored old res- 
LJ idents of Hunterdon County, has been en- 
I I gaged in farming in the vicinity of Quaker- 
town for the past forty-seven years. He is in- 
dustrious and thrifty in his methods and has ac- 
cumulated a goodly competence by his own 
efforts. About the time that the Civil war closed 
he turned his attention to the raising of fruit and 
has been very successful in this branch of agri- 
culture, some of his time being also devoted to the 
nursery business, with good financial results. 

Our subject comes of a good old New Jersey 
family, it having been represented here for sev- 
eral generations. The old records of the family 
give the following, among other dates and par- 
ticulars in regard to them: The paternal grand- 
father of our subject, born July 3, 1744, bore the 
same Christian name as himself. This ancestor 
married Margaret Fitz Randolph, September 28, 
1768, and died September 11, 1824. She was 
born September 7, 1746, and died October 2, 
1812. Their ten children were as follows: James, 
born July 1, 1769; Daniel, January 3, 1 771; James 
(second of the name), January 3, 1773; Mercy, 



February 19, 1775; John A., February 9, 1777; 
Phoebe, May 16, 1779; Elizabeth, February 17, 
1782; Ephraim M., April 4, 1784; Margaret, May 
23, 1786, and Christian, July 11, 1788. 

The birth of the father of our subject, John A. 
Vail, took place in Green Brook, N. J., in 1777, 
and later he located near the town of Newmarket, 
now known as Dunellen, N. J. , and in that locality 
his remaining years were spent. He was a hatter 
by trade, and carried on a small farm with ability. 
In his religious belief he was a Friend, and was 
very active in all good works, whether in church 
or in public life. He died, lamented by all who 
had ever had the pleasure of his acquaintance, 
when he was about fifty-five years of age, June 
28, 1832. He was twice married, his first wife 
having been Rachel Webster. She was bom 
December 13, 1784, and died September 19, 1805, 
leaving one child, Hugh W. , whose birth had oc- 
curred the preceding year, and who died in 1879. 

The first marriage of John A. Vail took place 
June 3, 1803. His second wife, whom he married 
March 27, 1817, bore the maiden name of Deb- 
orah Harned. She died at the age of seventy- 
three years, December 6, 1S61. She was a faith- 
ful member of the Friends' Church and was be- 
loved and thoroughly respected by everyone who 
came beneath her sweet, womanly influence. Of 
her six children but two are yet living: A. R., of 
this sketch, and Jacob L. , whose home is in Des 
Moines, Iowa. In order of birth the children 
were as follows: Jonathan H., born February 23, 
1S1S; Gilbert, November 23, 1819; Rachel W., 
March 23, 1S21; Abram R., February 16, 1823; 
John E., May 12, 1824; and Jacob L-, March 10, 
1831. 

The early years of Abram R. Vail were passed 
quietly upon his father's farm where his birth had 
occurred. He was educated in the same locality 
(Newmarket) in the public schools, and later was 
privileged to attend one of a higher order in 
Dutchess County, N. Y. His father died when 
the lad was but nine years of age, and he 
continued to reside with his mother until 1851. 
At that time he struck out for himself, and, com- 
ing to Quakertown, he purchased the farm where 



346 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he still makes his home, and from that day to 
this has been occupied in the cultivation and im- 
provement of the place. He adheres to the re- 
ligious faith of his forefathers, and with his fam- 
ily attends the services of the Friends' Meeting- 
house. He has reared several children to lives ot 
usefulness, has always done his full duty as a citi- 
zen and strives to advance the peace and righte- 
ousness of the community in which his lot has 
been cast. 

In 1845 Mr. Vail married Jane D., daughter 
of Jonah Vail, of Green Brook. To this wortlry 
couple the following children were born: Adelia, 
wife of Samuel L- Robinson; John A., of Trenton, 
N. J.; Fowler W., of Dunellen, N. J.; Franklin 
P., who died in 186 1; Lizzie D., wife of Josiah A. 
Trimmer, of Phillipsburg, N. J. ; Howard E. , who 
is at home; Rebecca H. (1st) , deceased; Rebecca H. 
(2d) wife of Elsworth Case, of Phillipsburg; Amy 
Clara, wife of William Gary; and Laura D., wife 
of John Trout, of Ouakertown. 



"T LMER E. CARHART is one of the most 
C) popular young business men of Phillipsburg, 
_ Warren County. In all things relating to 
the cause of education, city government and pub- 
lic improvements and matters that affect the wel- 
fare of his fellow-citizens he is very actively 
interested, and is always to be found on the side 
of progress. For the past six years he has offici- 
ated as treasurer of the board of education, hav- 
ing been elected to that position in December, 
1 89 1. A little over ten years ago he embarked in 
the boot and shoe business, and in 1891 his 
brother, C. V., entered into partnership with 
him, under the firm name of E. E. Carhart & 
Bro. They have since conducted a thriving 
trade in this city. 

The parents of our subject are Samuel and Sa- 
rah H. Carhart. The father, who was a native of 
Warren County, and was engaged in railroading 



for many years, died in August, 1890. He was a 
practical business man and was considered one 
of the most efficient and trustworthy employes of 
the corporation with which he was connected. 
His wife, a daughter of Cornelius Vorhees, and a 
native of Middle Valley, Morris County, N. J., is 
now about sixty years of age, and is making her 
home with her son of whom we write. Two of 
her five children are deceased, and the three sons 
who survive are: Elmer E. ; Cornelius V., to 
whom we have previously alluded; and W. L., a 
resident of Hoboken, N. J. 

E. E. Carhart was born in the village of Beat- 
tystowu, Warren County, July 14, 1861, and was 
a lad of twelve years when with the other mem- 
bers of the family he removed to this place. He 
attended the public schools of Phillipsburg from 
that time until he was sixteen, and gained a prac- 
tical education. In 1877 he and his father opened 
a fruit, fish and oyster market and carried on the 
business three years. At the expiration of that 
period he became an employe of the Delaware, 
Lackawanna & Western Railway Company, be- 
ing located in Hoboken and attached to the train 
service department. In December, 1882, he re- 
turned to Phillipsburg, and for the next five 
years was employed by the New Jersey Central 
Railroad, or until he was forced to resign his posi- 
tion owing to an injury to his hand. In Septem- 
ber of that year (1S87) he decided to embark in 
the boot and shoe business, in which venture he 
has been prosperous. 

In his political convictions he stands by the prin- 
ciples of the Democracy. In 1889 he was elected 
and returned for five years as freeholder for the 
second ward of Phillipsburg, and for three years 
of this period was a director of the county alms- 
house. He is a member of the Knights of Pyth- 
ias, and holds the honor of being assistant adju- 
tant-general for the state, of the Uniform Rank of 
that order. He is also connected with the Junior 
Order of American Mechanics, and with the 
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, having been 
the treasurer of the last-named since 1SS5, and 
having been sent as the delegate of the same to 
three national conventions of the order. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



347 



June ii, 1890, Mr. Carhart married Anna B. 
Ewing, daughter of Joseph Ewing, of Phillips- 
burg. He stands high in railway circles, and is 
chief car-inspector for the New Jersey Central 
system. Mr. Carhart and wife are identified with 
the Presbyterian Church, the former being one of 
the trustees of the congregation. 



DGAR I. CREGAR is a worthy representa- 
^ tive of a sterling and honored family of 
__ High Bridge, Hunterdon County. His 
grandfather, Andrew Cregar, was the owner of 
a large tract of land, on a portion of which this 
flourishing town is now situated. The father of 
our subject, Andrew, Jr., was, in turn, the owner 
of the property, and assisted in platting the town. 
Though much of the original ground has been 
sold off, there still remains to the gentleman of 
whom we write a valuable piece comprising 
seventy acres, this lying adjacent to the limits of 
High Bridge. He has sold considerable of this 
as town lots, and still meets the demand in this 
direction as it recurs. In addition to having en- 
tire management and watchful supervision of his 
valuable homestead, he is in the fruit commission 
business at No. 316 Washington street, New York 
City, having been thus occupied for the past three 
years. 

The birth of Edgar Cregar took place October 
15, 1849, he being a son of Andrew and Harriet 
T. (Dance) Cregar. He was reared under the 
influences of a good home and judicious and lov- 
ing parents. When he reached a suitable age 
he began attending the local schools and after 
completing his rudimentary education, entered 
the Chester Classical Academy in Chester, N. J. 
He has taken great interest in the cause of educa- 
tion and is an earnest advocate of advancement in 
the courses of public instruction to the rising 
generation. He commenced the duties of agri- 
culture while he was yet a mere lad, and has 



always since given more or less attention to these 
pursuits. He has a model farm, everything 
about the place showing the constant care and 
good management of the owner. For a number 
of years, and, indeed, until recently, he operated 
the coal yards of High Bridge, but at present 
they are leased by the firm of Van Sickel & Apgar. 
In politics Mr. Cregar has taken an active part 
and has performed efficient service in the numer- 
ous official capacities hereabouts. Among others, 
he has been assessor and township committeeman, 
having been elected by his Republican friends, 
who are legion in this community. 

September 3, 1868, and just after leaving 
school, Mr. Cregar married Margaret J. Bleek- 
man, daughter of John and Sarah (Manley) 
Bleekman. Mr. Bleekman was a prominent busi- 
ness man and real-estate dealer in New Bruns- 
wick, N. J. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. 
Cregar has been blessed with three children, viz. : 
Raymond Dewitt, Harriet D. and Sarah E. In 
accordance with his principles, Mr. Cregar is 
giving his children good educational advantages. 
Raymond is a graduate of the Cleveland (Ohio) 
Commercial College; Harriet is a graduate of the 
high school of New Brunswick and the younger 
daughter is receiving private tutoring from Rev. 
A. Mershon, of Annandale, preparatory to enter- 
ing the Kuoxville Seminary. All three are bright 
and promising young people of whom any parent 
might be justly proud. 



(3 IDAS GIBBS. For nearly a quarter of a 
?\ century this representative citizen of Belvi- 
\yJ dere, Warren County, has been employed by 
the United States Gas Improvement Company, 
of Philadelphia, the largest concern of the kind in 
this country. He has erected gas plants in all parts 
of the United States, and thoroughly understands 
every detail of the business. The great corpora- 
tion with which he has been so long connected 



348 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was organized in the year 1882 by his brother, 
W. W. Gibbs, whose career has been truly re- 
markable. He started out to make his own way 
in the world a poor boy, literally empty-handed, 
and steadily worked his way upward until now, 
in middle life, he is a millionare, with vast busi- 
ness interests and investments in various parts of 
the land. Among others, he is president of the 
Marsden Company, of Philadelphia, and he it 
was who took and filled the contract for the build- 
ing of the fine bridge over the Hudson River at 
Poughkeepsie. 

Silas Gibbs, born in Hope, Warren County, 
July 9, 1849, is one of the seven children of Levi 
B. and Ellen (Vannatta) Gibbs. The father, 
now in his eightieth year, has always been a 
strong Republican since the party was organized, 
and served as the postmaster of Hackettstown, 
N. J., under the administration of President 
Harrison. He was born near Hope and pursued 
the business of carriage making when in his 
active years. The Gibbs family is of German 
origin. Our subject had an uncle, the late Jacob 
Vannatta, who was a noted lawyer of Morris- 
town, N. J. He is also first cousin to ex-Governor 
Werts. Mrs. Ellen V. Gibbs departed this life 
in 1S95, leaving the following-named children: 
W. W., previously alluded to; Martha, wife of 
L. I. Cook, of Hackettstown; Silas; Mary, wife of 
Hugh McDonald; Whitfield, a resident of Decker- 
town, N. J.; and Elizabeth V., Mrs. Augustus G. 
Winter, of Philadelphia. 

Up to the time that he was fifteen years old, 
Silas Gibbs was a student in the public schools of 
Hope, after which he commenced learning the 
trade of his father, that of carriage making. He 
continued to work at that calling for a period ex- 
tending over ten years, and then accepted an 
opening in the United States Gas Improvement 
Company, with which he has since been connected. 
He is a practical constructing engineer, and su- 
perintending the construction of the plant. In 
his political convictions he is a Republican, and 
religiously is a Methodist in belief. 

September 8, 1875, Mr. Gibbs was united in 
marriage with Josephine Decker, with whom he 



had grown up in the old home neighborhood. 
Her father was Isaac J. Decker, and two of her 
brothers were ministers of the Gospel. The 
eldest of them, I. Dayton, was a graduate of 
Yale and subsequently studied in Germany. The 
other, William, is a Presbyterian minister in 
Lewiston, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs have one 
child, Raymond S. 



:— S ••>» ■•■'Q5 •>£;•• 



(JOSEPH H. FIRTH, one of the most prom- 
I inent and enterprising men of business in 
G/ Phillipsburg, Warren County, has been the 
proprietor of the Madison Square Hotel here since 
the 6th of August, 1895. This popular and 
commodious hotel is conveniently located, is well 
equipped and managed and is a favorite stopping- 
place for the commercial traveler and all others 
who may be passing through this busy railroad 
city. The hotel is noted for its excellent cuisine, 
the brightness and cheerfulness of each and every 
apartment, and the general air of comfort and 
homelikeness that pervades the place. 

Born February 22, 1859, Joseph H. Firth is a 
native of Phillipsburg, and with the exception of 
a few mouths spent elsewhere he has been identi- 
fied with the upbuilding and development of this 
place during his whole life. The interest which 
he has always taken in all things having for their 
object the improvement of the town makes him 
considered one of our best and most valued citi- 
zens. In 1884 his abilit}' and influence were fitly 
recognized by bis being elected to the position of 
freeholder, and four years later he was chosen to 
serve as a member of the city council, with which 
honorable body he has officiated ever since. 
Four years of this period he acted as president of 
the council, and succeeded in forwarding numer- 
ous measures that have accrued to the benefit of 
our townspeople. He was formerly chief of the 
fire department here and secured the adoption of 
the Gamewell Fire Alarm system. Thus, in 




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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



35i 



various ways, he has been an earnest worker and 
an interested supporter of local enterprises and 
improvements. 

The education of Mr. Firth was wholly obtained 
in the public schools of Phillipsburg. At the age 
of eighteen he began learning the trade of a ma- 
chinist, and after a time he concluded to try his 
fortunes in the west. Going to Omaha, Neb., he 
remained there for ten months, but, not feeling 
that he desired to make his permanent home in 
the west, he finally returned home, believing that 
there could be found no better state than that in 
which he had grown to maturity. Here he was em- 
ployed at his trade five years, then being promoted 
to be foreman of the Warren Foundry. This re- 
sponsible position he occupied until August, 
1895, or for over two decades. He is now the 
agent for the firm of Firth & Ingham, and is set- 
tling up their estate. He is possessed of good 
financial ability and wise judgment in the manage- 
ment of business affairs, and merits the high place 
which he is given by his associates. In political 
matters he is a Democrat. In the fraternities 
he belongs to Delaware Dodge No. 52, F. & A. 
M., being past master of the same; is past high 
priest of Eagle Chapter No. 30, R. A. M., and 
is connected also with the Order of Red Men and 
with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. 

On the 26th of July, 1880, Mr. Firth was united 
in marriage with Miss Margaret A. Lewis, of 
Portsmouth, Ohio. They have one child, Eliza- 
beth A. 



EVI B. GIBBS, a retired business man re- 
liL siding in Hackettstown, has spent the 
|_J greater part of his life in Warren County 
and is well known as one of its reliable and enter- 
prising citizens. He was born in what is now 
Hope Township October 16, 18 18, and is a son 
of Christopher and Susanna (Bunting) Gibbs, 
also natives of this count)'. Little is known con- 
cerning the remote family history or the date of 



its first representation in America. However, 
it is supposed that our subject's grandfather, 
John Gibbs, was born in Rhode Island, whence 
he came to New Jersey and settled upon a farm. 
During much of his life he made his home in 
Warren County and here he died when advanced 
in years. By occupation a farmer, Christopher 
Gibbs devoted himself to the cultivation of the 
family estate in Hope Township, and here his 
death occurred when he was forty-five years of 
age. In politics he was a Whig and in religious 
belief a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. In his agricultural operations he was 
fairly successful and doubtless would have become 
well-to-do had his life been spared to old age. 
His wife was a member of the Quaker Church 
and a faithful adherent to its doctrines. She died 
at the age of about seventy. 

The boyhood years of our subject's life were 
uneventfully passed on the home farm, where he 
was reared to habits of industry that proved of 
the greatest value to him in after days. At the 
age of sixteen, in March, 1836, he began an 
apprenticeship in a carriage shop, where he re- 
mained until October, 1839, meantime gaining a 
thorough knowledge of the trade, which he after- 
ward followed, in the employ of others, for two 
years. In 1843 he purchased the carriage shop 
in Hope, which he continued to carry on success- 
fully until 1873, during that long period becom- 
ing known as an honest and energetic business 
man, one who was true to every obligation and 
honorable in every transaction. On retiring from 
the business, he made his home in Newark for a 
number of years, but in 1879 came to Hacketts- 
town, where he has since continued to reside. 

March 9, 1842, Mr. Gibbs was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Ellen Vanatti, of Warren County, 
an estimable lady and one who retained through- 
out her life the friendship and warm regard of 
her associates. She passed away in 1895, leaving 
seven children, all but one of whom are now liv- 
ing. When the Republican party was organized 
Mr. Gibbs became one of its first supporters and 
from that day to this he has never wavered in his 
allegiance to party measures and principles. 



35-' 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Under the administration of President Harrison, 
he held the appointment of postmaster at Hack- 
ettstown, an office that he filled in such an able 
manner as to gain the commendation of all, 
irrespective of political beliefs. 



r^ROF. Y. C. PILGRIM, principal of the 
yr Phillipsburg high school, is one of the lead- 
fS ing educators of Warren County, and indeed 
of the western part of New Jersey. His methods 
of teaching are largely original and are thorough- 
ly practical and progressive. Pupils and public 
alike receive his plans and ideas in regard to ed- 
ucational matters with respect and commendation 
and give him their hearty co-operation in carry- 
ing them out. In September, 1896, he went into 
partnership with I. W. Schultz, under the firm 
name of Schultz & Pilgrim, and purchased the 
Warren • Democrat, a paper that had been pub- 
lished weekly, and within a few months the new 
proprietors commenced issuing it daily. The 
journal is one of merit and general popularity 
with the reading public. 

On the paternal side of the family Professor 
Pilgrim is of German descent, while on the ma- 
ternal side he is of French origin. For several 
generations the Pilgrims have resided in Orange 
County, N. Y., and Frank Pilgrim, grandfather 
of our subject, was a prominent man there in his 
day. James W., father of the professor, was a 
native of Orange County and in early life was a 
teacher in the northern part of this state. He is 
still living in Orange County, N. Y., where he 
has filled county offices time and again, and is 
now about sixty years of age. His wife, Eme- 
line, who died in 1877, was a daughter of Jacob 
Garrison, a prominent and wealthy citizen of 
Orange County. The only sister of our subject, 
Alice, is the wife of W. A. Onderdonk, and the 
only brother is C. L,., both of whom make their 
homes in Orange Count)-. 



Born in Warwick, Orange Count}', N. Y., Aug- 
ust 5, 1867, Y. C. Pilgrim is now in the prime of 
early manhood. Having completed a course of 
study at the Newton (N. J.) Collegiate Institute 
he entered Lafayette College, graduating there- 
from in 1889 with the degree of bachelor of phi- 
losophy. Since then he has been made a master 
of sciences. In the fall of 1889 he began teach- 
ing in a private school in New York City, and in 
1890 was called to occupy the position for which 
he has proven himself so well qualified, that of 
principal of the Phillipsburg high school. His 
classes in the languages have been especially 
worth}' of approbation, as he instituted an entire- 
ly new method of work in this direction and the 
results are most satisfactory to all concerned. 
During his vacations and leisure moments he de- 
votes considerable time to journalistic work and • 
has been connected with the New York World 
and other leading papers. He is undoubtedly a 
young man of great talent, with a most promising 
future before him. February 8, 1890, Mr. Pil- 
grim married Abbie T. Lerch, a graduate of the 
Phillipsburg high school. They have no chil- 
dren, but lost one son. Mr. Pilgrim is past mas- 
ter of Delaware Lodge No. 52, F. & A. M., and 
is also an Odd Fellow. Religiously he is a Pres- 
byterian, as is also his wife, and they hold mem- 
bership with the First Church of this city. 



0AVID R. EMERY. To some of the actors 
in the drama of life the stage of action is of 
small proportions, though the successive 
acts played thereon are none the less important, 
both to those who participate in the drama and to 
those who are indirectly influenced thereby. 
From the day of his birth up to the present time, 
over three-quarters of a century, the gentleman of 
whom we write this brief tribute has lived upon 
one farm situated in Readiugton Township, Hun- 
terdon County. Here, where he is thoroughly 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



353 



known, he is held in the deepest respect and 
esteem, for his career has been a useful one and 
in all activities whereby the public might be as- 
sisted he has taken the interest of a local citizen. 
Now, in the declining years of his life, he is re- 
tired from the "heat and burden" of daily toil, 
and is enjoying a season of peaceful content. 

David R. Emery was born November 13, 1821, 
in his father's old family residence, and of five 
children he and one sister, Mary, are all who sur- 
vive. His parents were Peter and Anna (Rocke- 
fellow) Emery, both natives of Hunterdon Coun- 
ty. In boyhood he attended the district school 
and his time passed pleasantly in the varied occu- 
pations and amusements of the country lad. Be- 
fore he had reached his majority he had become 
well grounded in habits of industry and perse- 
verance and gave promise of the success that he 
later won. Following his father's example, he 
continued as a farmer, as he preferred the com- 
paratively independent, free, out-door life of the 
tiller of the soil. 

October 24, 1854, Mr. Emery married Elizabeth 
Lane, a native of his own township, and from his 
boyhood a friend and playmate. They had but 
one child, a son, Andrew L., who married Emma 
Van Dome, of this vicinity, and their only child 
is Theodore V., a sixteen-year-old school boy. 
Mrs. Emery is a daughter of Andrew C. Lane, 
who was a prosperous farmer of this township, and 
spent his whole life within its limits. Our sub- 
lect and his estimable wife have long been valued 
members of the Reformed Church, and Mr. 
Emery has served as an elder for many years. 



IILLIAM L. SCOTT. Numbered among 
the very best citizens of Hunterdon Coun- 
ty, of which he is a native, the subject of 
this article deserves special mention. Not only 
has he always nobly done his duty as a private 
citizen of this great commonwealth, but in times 



of peace and war alike, as well as when serving 
his fellows in public positions of responsibility and 
trust, he has kept his record above reproach. 
Since he settled down in his independent life he 
has been mainly occupied in farming upon his 
valuable and well-improved homestead situated in 
Franklin Township, and there he may be found 
to-day. 

Born August 14, 1842, William L. Scott passed 
his first years upon the farm owned by his father, 
and was early taught the various affairs pertain- 
ing to the proper management of a homestead. 
His youthful enthusiasm and patriotism led him 
to enlist in the defense of his country when he 
was about twenty years of age in 1862. He be- 
came a member of Company D, Thirtieth Regi- 
ment of New Jersey Infantry, and during his ten 
months' service he participated in several hard- 
fought battles, including Fredericksburg and 
Chancellorsville. When his term of enlistment 
had expired he returned home, remaining there 
until September 3, 1864, when he again offered 
his services to his struggling country, and was 
assigned to Company B, Thirty-eighth New Jer- 
sey Infantry, and was promoted to sergeant in the 
company. From that time until peace had been 
declared he was in the regiment commanded by 
Colonel Sewell, stationed at Bermuda Forks, 
Powhatan and City Point. He reached home 
once more upon the 4th of July, 1865, and a 
year later commenced farming upon his own ac- 
count upon his present homestead, where he has 
dwelt ever since. In politics he is a Republican ; 
was a freeholder for three years, was overseer of 
the poor for eight years, a member of the town- 
ship committee for four years, and was re-elected 
to that office in 1896, to serve for another three 
years. He has always been quite active in public 
affairs, and was a candidate for the position of 
sheriff in 1890. He is identified with Lambert 
Boeman Post No. 48, G. A. R.; and Lackalong 
Lodge No. 114, I. O. O. F., in the latter having 
passed all the chairs. 

The marriage of William L- Scott and Miss 
Hannah Willson, daughter of Samuel Willsou 
(who, with his family, is a member of the Society 



354 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of Friends), was solemnized December 26, 1868. 
Samuel Willson was a son of Dr. Samuel Will- 
son, and was one of the first settlers in Hunter- 
don County, N. J. The father of the subject of 
this article, John W. Scott, was a native of this 
county. He was a mason by trade and followed 
the calling very actively until he was about sixty 
years of age, in connection with farming. He 
died when seventy-six years old, loved and re- 
spected by all with whom it had ever been his lot 
to come into contact. He was a Republican, but 
was never very active in political affairs. His 
father, who bore the name of George W. Scott, 
was the founder of the Scott family in Franklin 
Township, and he also followed the mason's 
trade. The mother of William L. Scott bore the 
maiden name of Frances White, she being a 
daughter of John White. The union of John W. 
and Frances Scott was blessed with six children, 
viz.: George W. ; Elizabeth, wife of George W. 
Lake; John, who was sergeant of Company D, 
Thirtieth Regiment New Jersey Infantry, and 
died in the service; Catherine, wife of Levi Hice; 
William L. and Charles B. The mother of this 
family was a consistent member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and lived to attain the ripe 
age of eighty-six years. 



-:—-: ♦•2+M 



HS^O 1 ! 



HB. HOWELL occupies the very responsible 
position of superintendent of the public 
schools of Phillipsburg, Warren Count}-, 
and that he is giving entire satisfaction to all con- 
cerned needs no other argument than the state- 
ment that he has been twice re-elected to the 
office. He makes it a point to know what is 
transpiring in every department of educational 
work, and is thoroughly posted and abreast of the 
times in methods and systems being tried in 
different portions of the country. While in a 
certain sense conservative, he is not averse to 
progressive measures, so-called, and has himself 



instituted many changes for the better in our 
local methods since he assumed the duties of his 
position. 

Professor Howell comes from one of the rep- 
resentative old Warren County families, having 
been born on a farm near this town February 2, 
1862. His father, H. B. Howell, was one of the 
brave soldiers of the Civil war, one who wore the 
blue, and whose life was lost in the defense of his 
country. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and 
enlisted in a company that went to the conflict 
from that state. He died in 1862, the year in 
which our subject was born, from fever contracted 
during the exposure and privations of army life 
in the field. He was an enthusiastic patriot, and 
offered himself to his country while still very 
young and a student at Lafayette College. He 
had married Ellen, daughter of Lawrence Lom- 
masson, and she is still living, aged fifty-six 
years. 

After graduating from the Phillipsburg high 
school, Mr. Howell entered Lafayette College, 
and completed his course there in 1886, and in 
1889 received the degree of Master of Arts. He 
originally was a member of the class of 1881, but 
spent several years in Texas, teaching for a few 
terms and being variously occupied. Im- 
mediately after his graduation from Lafayette 
College he was appointed principal of the Phillips- 
burg high school, and as such he spent the next 
four years. In 1890 he was elected superintend- 
ent of our public schools. He is one of the county 
board of examiners and belongs to the State 
Teachers' Association, besides which he finds 
sometime to devote to literary or journalistic 
work. Under his direct supervision there are 
forty teachers, and pupils to the number of fifteen 
hundred. 

According to the admirable system now in use 
in our schools and introduced by Superintendent 
Howell, abstract theories are superseded as far as 
possible and the children are taught to observe 
the phenomena of everj--day life, and to make 
practical applications of such knowledge. A 
lover of literature of the highest type, he en- 
deavors to inculcate the same tastes in those 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



355 



with whom his influence is maintained. He is a 
member of the Knights of Pythias and is con- 
nected with Delaware Lodge No. 52, F. & A. M. 
March 29, 1887, he married Anna F. Smith and 
they have two children, Anna C. and John E. 
The father of Mrs. Howell was the late Thomas 
Smith, of Belvidere, N. J., and one of her an- 
cestors was Anne Halstead, a heroine of the 
Revolutionary war period'. 



P GJlLLIAM P. JOHNSON is one of the hon- 
\ A / ored old residents of Hunterdon County, 
V V and the history of its representative busi- 
ness men and farmers, those who have been the 
bone and sinew of its greatness and prosperity, 
would be sadly lacking were his name omitted by 
any chance. Until within recent years he has 
been actively engaged in the management of his 
fine homestead in Readington Township, but is 
now enjoying a well-earned rest, though he is 
still living on the old home place. 

The parents of the above-named gentleman 
were Dr. William and Elizabeth (Stockton) 
Johnson. The father was a noted physician of 
his day and was in every way a brilliant and in- 
fluential man. He was of exceptional education 
and attainments, and, being well posted in the 
history of the leading families of Readington 
Township of his generation, he compiled a work 
giving such facts as he was conversant with. 
Both the doctor and his good wife were born and 
reared in Princeton, N. J. Of the eleven children 
born to them, seven are deceased. Those who 
remain are Thomas, William P., Richard C. and 
John V. 

William P. Johnson was born in February, 
1816, in the village of White House, Hunterdon 
County, and grew up in that place, receiving his 
education in the public schools. Arriving at an 
age when he desired to make his own living, he 
entered a general store, and for several successive 



years he followed mercantile pursuits. He was 
variously located during this period in the towns 
of New Brunswick, Flemington and White 
House. In 1850 he purchased the farm which 
has been his place of residence ever since. He 
owns one hundred acres of valuable land, well 
improved with substantial buildings and with a 
peach orchard which has three thousand bearing 
fruit trees. 

January 10, 1846, Mr. Johnson married Miss 
Mary A. Emery, of Clinton Township, daughter 
of John and Christiana Emery, natives of this 
county. Together they have journeyed along the 
pathway of life ever since, sharing each other's 
burdens and joys. They had two children: Lou- 
isa P., now Mrs. Charles W. Daggett, the mother 
of one child, Rosemary, and Harriet M., now 
Mrs. Henry Bishop, who is the mother of four 
children, Mar}' K., Alfred, Louisa J. and Olive 
F. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are members of the 
Reformed Church. Politically our subject has 
always used his right of franchise on behalf of 
the nominees of the Republican part}'. 



HON. HENRY SCHENCK HARRIS. As 
one of the members of the bar of Warren 
Count}', this gentleman occupies a promi- 
nent place. During a period extending over 
twenty-five years he has from time to time come 
frequently before the public as counsel in cases of 
more than local interest, and has won a reputa- 
tion in the legal profession. In the realm of pol- 
itics he has had some experience. He has been 
firm in his allegiance to the Democracy and has 
been active in the support of its principles. In 
1880, after a very exciting contest, he was elected 
a member of congress from the fourth congres- 
sional district of this state, comprising the coun- 
ties of Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex and Somerset. 
His opponent on this occasion was Gen. Judson 
Kilpatrick, a very popular man with his party 



356 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



friends. Mr. Harris served for his two years' 
term in the house with distinction and ability, be- 
ing a member of numerous important committees, 
such as the committee on naval affairs and one of 
the board of visitors to the United States Naval 
Academy, etc. 

Born December 27, 1850, in Belvidere, Warren 
County, H. S. Harris is, and has been for many 
years, one of the representative citizens of the 
place. His father, Israel Harris, a native of 
Readington, Hunterdon County, N. J. (born June 
S, 1820, died in November, 1891), was for a long 
period cashier of the Belvidere Bank, he having 
taken up his residence in this town in 1845. He 
was a leading Odd Fellow of the state, being 
grand master of New Jersey and for six years a 
representative to the grand lodge of the United 
States. He married Susan, daughter of John and 
Eliza Lawrence (Everett) Stuart. She died in 
August, 1894. Of their five children four survive. 
Carrie is the wife of E. M. Beesley, of Belvidere; 
Franklin V. is a lawyer of Atlantic City, N. J.; 
and Charles E. is a member of the bar of this 
county and is now occupying the position of 
county clerk, his home being in Belvidere. The 
paternal grandfather of our subject, Henry S. 
Harris, was for half a century a physician of War- 
ren County, N. J. Through his paternal grand- 
mother, Permelia (Stout) Harris, he is a direct 
descendant of John Hart, of New Jersey, one of 
the famous signers of the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence. 

It was the privilege of Henry S. Harris, of this 
sketch, to obtain a classical education. After 
leaving the public schools of Belvidere he studied 
under the tutelage of Rev. Frederick Knighton 
and was graduated from Princeton College in 
1870. Three years later he was admitted to the 
bar as an attorney, and in June, 1876, as a coun- 
sellor. Since then he has been very successfully 
engaged in practice in Belvidere. In March, 
1877, his ability was recognized by his being ap- 
pointed prosecutor of the pleas of Warren County 
by Governor Bedle. While serving in that ca- 
pacity he was brought into special prominence 
through his connection with the famous Warren 



County trials of 1878, wherein twelve high offi- 
cials of the county were indicted, convicted and 
sent to the penitentiary for conspiracy, forgery 
and embezzlement. These cases are among the 
most noted in the annals of New Jersey and at- 
tracted widespread interest. Mr. Harris was 
counsel for the state in the trial of James J. Titus 
for the murder of Tillie Smith (September, 1886), 
and was retained for the defense in the case of 
Samuel C. Carpenter, who was indicted for the 
murder of Rachel Blackwell. This trial took 
place in July, 1896, and resulted in the acquittal 
of Carpenter. In the extensive litigation between 
the United States Pipe Line Company and the 
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western and the Penn- 
sylvania Railway Companies, Mr. Harris was the 
counsel for the first-named corporation. He is 
employed as legal advisor of the same, also of the 
Lehigh & New England Railway Company in 
this county, and represents niany other corpora- 
tions in special cases. At present he is counsel 
for the board of freeholders of Warren County. 
He is a member of the New Jersey Society of the 
Cincinnati, representing Surgeon Jacob Harris, 
of the Third New Jersey Regiment of the Conti- 
nental Line. 

August 19, 1874, Mr. Harris married Martha, 
daughter of the late Anthony B. Robeson, of Bel- 
videre. She died January 22, 1894, leaving one 
daughter, Roberta Robeson, who is still living. 
Another daughter, Susan E. S. , died December 
7, 1880, aged three years. 



Q ENJAMIN EGBERT, deceased, was one of 
JC\ the most successful fruit growers and gen- 
\_J eral agriculturists of Hunterdon County, and 
was highly regarded as a business man, as a 
neighbor, friend and citizen in the community in 
which he dwelt. In 1S40 he became a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church ofOuakertown, 
and from that time until his death he was one of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



357 



the most valued workers in the same. The cause 
of Christianity was very dear to his heart and at 
all times he held church interests paramount to 
his own personal welfare. In word and deed he 
was a man of upright character, one who could 
be trusted to the uttermost, and one on whom 
everyone came to rely with confidence that he 
would be just and generous, honorable and true, 
no matter what the circumstance. He was sum- 
moned to his reward at the age of seventy-seven 
years, February 10, 1891. His loss has been felt 
to be a public one indeed, and he is sorely missed 
in the home, in the church, and in the community 
which he formerly brightened and uplifted by his 
mere presence. 

Born near the town of Pattenburg, this county, 
November 19, 18 13, the subject of this sketch was 
a son of Benjamin and Rebecca (Carkhuff) Eg- 
bert. The father was a tanner and currier by 
trade, and followed that calling in conjunction 
with that of agriculture. He was a very active 
and prosperous business man and was for some 
years judge of the county court. He died March 
28, 1848. His eight children have all been called 
to the better land. 

The boyhood of Benjamin Egbert, of whom we 
write, was passed quietly and happily upon his 
parents' old homestead near the pretty town of 
Pattenburg. His education was such as was to be 
had in the common schools of the day, supple- 
mented with such knowledge as was to be ob- 
tained from experience and private reading and 
study. In 1840 he moved to a farm near Cherry - 
ville, and there resided until he settled in Quaker- 
town, in 1890. Thus, half a century and more 
he devoted to rural pursuits, which he enjoyed 
thoroughly. In his political convictions he was a 
Democrat until Fisk became a candidate for the 
presidency, subsequent to which time he was con- 
nected with the Prohibition party. For years he 
had been very much interested in the cause of 
temperance, and ultimately came to believe that 
this issue was the chief one confronting the 
nation. 

Benjamin Egbert was twice married, his first 
union having been with Miss Margaret Sine. 



They were married in October, 1836, and became 
the parents of nine children, only three of whom 
are now living: Emeline, wife of Andrew Street- 
er; Rebecca, wife of John Tunison; and Mary, 
wife of John Schomp. March 24, 1883, Mr. Eg- 
bert married Martha A. Stevenson, daughter of 
Samuel C. Stevenson. She is still living in their 
pleasant home in Ouakertown, and is an estim- 
able lady, beloved by all who have the honor of 
her acquaintanceship. 



jOATHANIEE BRITTONBOILEAU, M. D., 
\ I is a prominent citizen of Hunterdon County, 
\l2 his home being in Jutland. He has always 
been intensely interested in everything affecting 
the public welfare, and has ever devoted himself 
to the elevation and prosperity of his fellow-men. 
He is a man of broad ideas, liberality of thought 
and nobility of purpose, and his influence has 
always been directed toward the strengthening of 
good and upright and just things. 

The doctor is a native of Pennsylvania, his 
birth having taken place in Bucks County, June 
26, 1833. He is the youngest in a large family, 
his parents being Col. Daniel and Jane (Ruck- 
man) Boileau. The father was born in Phila- 
delphia, Pa., in 1785 and died in 1858. He was 
a farmer by occupation and was recognized by 
his cotemporaries as a man of unusual ability 
and talent. Though he had but a district-school 
education, he was a greatstudent, a deep thinker, 
and in every sense was self-made. For years he 
was a justice of the peace and notary public, 
besides holding other minor offices, and was 
elected to the state legislature, where he remained 
for years, meeting the responsibilities of the 
position with dignity and fidelity. For a long 
period, and up to the time of his death, he was 
colonel of the militia company. His wife died 
in 1852, in her sixty-third year. Both were placed 
to rest in Red Hill Cemetery, in Bucks County. 



353 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



For the last thirty-five years of his life he was a 
ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and 
very active in religious affairs. A leader in his 
community, he had the utmost confidence placed 
in his judgment and business methods, as well 
as in his absolute integrity, and was often called 
upon to settle up estates and finances for his 
neighbors. The wife and mother was a woman 
of gentleness, unselfishness and most lovable 
qualities. The esteem and affection of all who 
knew her was her rightful tribute, and it was 
freely bestowed upon her by a large circle of 
sincere friends. 

Of the children born to Colonel Boileau and wife 
six are still living. Mary A., deceased, was the 
wife of Justus K. Long, of Bucks County. Eliza 
is the widow of John Younken, of Mount Carmel, 
111., and is now residing in the east. James R., 
deceased, was a prosperous merchant of Bucks 
County, was county treasurer and was also a 
member of the legislature. William F. , deceased, 
was an extensive lumber dealer of Easton. 
Caroline, who married L. F. Sassaman, of Bucks 
County, had a son, Horace D., a Presbyterian 
minister of Mount Pleasant, N. J.; and Edward, 
another son, is a merchant of Toledo, Ohio, doing 
business under the firm name of Shaw & Sassa- 
man. Samuel, of Easton, is president of the 
Phillipsburg National Bank, has been very active 
in the field of commerce, and has occupied nu- 
merous public offices, and has served as a mem- 
ber of the legislature. John K. is a retired 
merchant of Milford, N. J. Jane is the widow of 
Dr. Asher Riley, of Frenchtown, in which place 
she still makes her home. Sarah is the widow of 
Lemuel Greer, who was a professor in Mountain 
Seminary, of Birmingham, Huntingdon County, 
Pa. 

Dr. Boileau was named for an own cousin 
of his father, Nathaniel Britton Boileau, who was 
well known in the annals of Bucks County. 
From December 20, 1808, until December 16, 
1 8 17, he was secretary of the commonwealth of 
Pennsylvania, or as we would to-day term it, 
secretary of state, serving under Governor Snyder. 
He was also speaker of the house and adjutant- 



general of the state. A man of rare ability and 
sterling uprightness of word and deed, he was 
remarkably free from the selfishness that charac- 
terizes too many of the statesmen of to-day un- 
fortunately, and his incorruptibility was often 
shown forth by his public speeches and letters, as 
well as by his daily actions. He held that a 
patriot should not stand by his party if it did 
not nominate men of principle, that elections were 
reduced to a mere farce when candidates corrupt, 
despicable and capable of being bribed were to 
be supported, regardless of such demerits, merely 
as a mark of allegiance to a party. He was born 
in 1763 and died March 16, 1850. He was a 
graduate of Princeton and was a great scholar 
and literary men. His grandfather was one 
Jacob Boileau, who lived on Staten Island, N. Y. 
He or his father emigrated from France in con- 
sequence of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes 
in the reign of Louis XIV. The wife of this 
Jacob Boileau was called Anne. Their son Isaac 
was born in Staten Island December 19, 1722, 
and departed this life December 22, 1803. He 
married Rachel, daughter of Nathaniel and 
Elizabeth B. Britton. She was born October 2 
1724, was of English descent, and her life came 
to a close February 14, 1814. Their most distin- 
guished son was the Nathaniel Britton Boileau 
to whom we have referred at length above. 

The subject of this article, Dr. N. B. Boileau, 
is a member of the Hunterdon District Medical 
Society, has a number of times represented his 
count}' society in the state organization and has 
been sent as a delegate to the National Medical 
Association. In politics he uses his franchise in 
favor of the Democratic part}'. He has been 
very active in using his influence for his party, 
but, like the notable man for whom he was 
named, he believes in reserving his right of 
choice to a certain degree, and would not know- 
ingly vote for a man utterly corrupt and unwor- 
thy of the confidence of the people. He fre- 
quently contributes articles of much merit to vari- 
ous literary journals, his subjects covering a variety 
of subjects, from political to scientific and med- 
ical. Religiously he is a Presbyterian, and 




JOHN R. HAVER. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



361 



since 1SS0 he has held the position of elder. 
Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic 
order, belonging to Orion Lodge No. 56, F. 
& A. M., of Frenchtown. 

March 17, 1863, the doctor married Miss 
Nancy, daughter of Dr. John and Cornelia Blane. 
To the doctor and wife three daughters were 
born, viz.: Mary B., Caroline S. and Eleanor. 
The youngest, Eleanor, is a pupil in the private 
schools of Easton, Pa. 



—5 •'•>» > (yfj)j •-■; «-c- • • 



(JOHN R. HAVER is one of the most highly 
I respected citizens of Hunterdon County 
Q) within whose boundaries his whole life has 
been spent. Since attaining manhood he has 
been occupied in agricultural pursuits, and has 
been very successful in making a livelihood for 
himself and family, and in affording them man}' 
advantages. His well-improved and neatly kept 
farm is situated in Readington Township, near 
the village of Potterstown, and comprises ninety- 
five acres of desirable land. 

The parents of our subject were William E. 
and Margaret A. (Emory) Haver, both natives 
of this state. Their family numbered five chil- 
dren, but Emily K. and Peter are deceased, and 
the others are William, John R. and Elmira. 
The father was a tiller of the soil, as was also his 
father before him. The latter, Peter Haver, was 
born and reared in this county, and lived to a 
good old age. He was a man of considerable in- 
fluence in his comrnunit}', and for years he was a 
justice of the peace. 

The birth of John R. Haver occurred in his 
father's homestead April 27, 1838. His boyhood 
was passed quietly in the pursuits common to 
farmer lads, and after he arrived at a proper age 
he commenced attending the district schools. 
From a long line of ancestors who had devoted 
themselves to farming he had inherited a genuine 
liking for the occupation, and before he reached 



his majority he had determined to follow in their 
footsteps. In 1859 he commenced business upon 
his own account, and had just fairly started on 
the highway leading to success when the dark 
days of war came on. September 27, 1863, he 
enlisted in Company A, Thirty-first Regiment of 
New Jersey Volunteers, to serve for nine months. 
He participated in many engagements in which 
his regiment was called to the front, among these 
being the celebrated battle of Chancellorsville. 
October 26, 1864, he was honorably discharged 
from the army at Flemington, N. J. Since then 
he has been occupied in managing his homestead 
and financial affairs. 

In November, 1866, Mr. Haver married Mar- 
garet Conover, a native of Readington Township, 
and the daughter of John R. and Annie G. 
(Melick) Conover. Seven children were born to 
this union: one who died in infancy; William E., 
George A., Christopher B., James A., Stella B. 
and Ida M. Our subject and his estimable wife 
are members of the Reformed Church of Lebanon. 
In his political convictions he is a Republican. 



30HN WATSON ALLEGER, who is engaged 
in the manufacture of peach baskets in Clin- 
ton, Hunterdon County, has been a resident 
of this place only eight years, but is a native of 
this county, and has always been interested in 
the development of this region. He is a zealous 
Republican, and in 1894 was elected a member of 
the town council, was re-elected in 1896 and 
again in 1S97. He was instrumental in advanc- 
ing public improvements, such as the. water sys- 
tem now in vogue here and the electric light 
plant. In 1898 he was elected mayor of Clinton. 
The great-grandfather of the above was a na- 
tive of France and was an early settler in Hunter- 
don County, where some of his descendants have 
always resided since. His son Benjamin was a 
carpenter and builder, his work being chiefly ac- 



H 



362 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



complished in Readington Township. He mar- 
ried Elizabeth Smith, by whom he had four chil- 
dren, Ezra, Hiram, Shadrack and Mary. Ezra, 
the father of our subject, had no advantages to 
amount to anything in the way of an education, 
and when quite young he learned the shoe- 
maker's trade. He never followed this calling, 
however, but gave his attention solely to agricult- 
ure. In political matters he was a Democrat, 
and religiously he was a Methodist. In 1828 he 
married Sarah, daughter of John H. Hummer, of 
this county. They had five children, of whom 
John Watson is the eldest. Alice became the 
wife of Baltus Pickell, of this county. Mary is 
the widow of Joseph P. Trimmer, and resides in 
Washington, N. J. E. Wesley is a contractor 
and builder in Washington, N. J.; and Hiram 
W., of the same town, is a manufacturer of 
organs, being one of the first in this line of enter- 
prise in the state. The mother of these children 
died in October, 1838, and subsequently the 
father married Sarah Moore, who bore him six 
children, viz.: Ezra M., of Stanton; Sarah Ann, 
who wedded Thomas Coats, of Ouakertowu; 
Euphemia, wife of Maurice Brink, of Belvidere, 
N. J.; Samuel, of Belvidere; Lemuel, of Franklin 
Township; and Jane, Mrs. Judson Arnwiue, of 
Franklin Township. 

John Watson Alleger was born near Stanton, 
October 12, 1830. He has had to rely entirely 
upon his own efforts in the matter of an educa- 
tion, as his attendance at school was limited to 
about three months altogether. He has been 
quite a reader, however, and contact with the 
world and a natural power of observation have 
served him in good stead. He was a child of but 
eight years when death deprived him of a loving 
mother, and he then went to live with her par- 
ents- He stayed with them until he was four- 
teen, when he went to the home of an uncle and 
began learning the carpenter's trade. He then 
worked at this business for a contractor in Fleni- 
ington, and was sent to all parts of the county. 
The following five years he was in Belvidere, a 
part of this period working for himself indepen- 
dently. After another three years at his trade in 



Washington, N. J., he became an employe of the 
Fairbanks Scale Company, and remained with 
them for a quarter of a century, putting up their 
scales in various parts of this country and Canada. 
In 1890 he settled in Clinton, built the Music 
Hall, and soon started in his present industr}', 
the manufacture of peach baskets, which have a 
great sale in this peach-growing state. 

The pretty home of Mr. Alleger on West Main 
street was erected in 1833, and was in a sadly 
run-down condition when he purchased it. He has 
practically rebuilt it, added many modern improve- 
ments, and now has one of the best residences in 
the town. He is identified with the Masonic 
order, having joined it in 1861, and is now con- 
nected with Warren Dodge No. 13, F. & A. M., 
of Belvidere, and with Clinton Chapter No. 37, 
R. A. M. April 15, 1874, the marriage of Mr. 
Alleger and Maria Miller, of New York, was 
solemnized. She has in her possession a treasure 
indeed, a book of four hundred pages, which 
though in writing is as perfect a piece of work as 
though engraved. It was written by her father, 
Peter Miller, in 1822, and is entitled " Anecdotes 
Collected from Various Sources, by Peter Miller." 
He was a book-binder by trade, and himself bound 
this volume, which has not a blot on any of its 
pages and is in a good state of preservation. Mr. 
Alleger possesses some of the accoutrements worn 
by his grandfather in the War of 18 12. 



^JEORGE W. BEATY a wealthy and prorn- 
_ inent merchant of Califon, Hunterdon 
^Jl County, has been located here but ten )'ears, 
but has succeeded in building up a very large and 
lucrative trade. He is a self-made man in the 
strictest sense, as he has always had to rely solely 
upon his own resources. The prosperity that he 
now enjoys he richly deserves, for it was accu- 
mulated by long years of honest, unremitting toil, 
and by the exercise of upright business methods. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tf.i 



The Beatys are of Scottish origin, our subject's 
ancestor having come to this county at a very- 
early period in its history. His grandfather, 
James Beaty, was a farmer of Lebanon Township, 
in this county, in the latter part of last century. 
He married a Miss Sliker, by whom he had a fam- 
ily of three daughters and five sons, namely: 
.Alexander, Ann, Mary, John, Jacob, Elizabeth, 
James and George. Ann married Frederick 
Lanse; Mary became the wife of Jacob Anthony, 
and Elizabeth the wife of John Waters. 

Jacob, the father of our subject, was born in 
Lebanon Township, April 20, 1801. He early 
picked up the trade of a millwright and worked 
at this calling and as a carpenter to some extent, 
also carrying on a farm in Mansfield Township, 
Warren County, for years. He was first a Whig 
and later a Republican in political faith.' In the 
Baptist Church with which he was identified he 
was a great worker, and he was ever ready to lend 
a hand to the needy and afflicted. About 1822 he 
married Eva, daughter of Philip Anthony, of 
Lebanon Township, and their children were as 
follows: Charles, deceased; Amos, a retired citizen 
of Mansfield Township, Warren County; Ann, 
widow of Reuben Marrel, of Vienna, Warren 
County; Tamson and Mary, both deceased; 
George W. ; Whitfield, deceased; Jacob and Alex- 
ander, of Mansfield Township; and Henry, of 
Knowlton Township, Warren County. Mr. 
Beaty died in 1871 and was buried in the Bap- 
tist churchyard in Port Murray. Mrs. Beaty 
died in 1892. 

George W. Beaty was born in Warren County, 
December 2, 1S34. He attended school and aided 
his father in the work of the farm until he was 
twenty-two years of age, when he started out to 
"paddle his own canoe." He opened a store in 
the town of Anthony, and conducted it for twenty- 
seven years. At the beginning he was very care- 
ful, and did not expend a large amount of money 
in stock, but as the years passed he was enabled 
to branch out, and in time he had built up a pay- 
ing business, his sales running as high as $18,- 
000 per annum. In 1888 he came to Califon, and 
went into partnership with John Beavers. This 



connection existed about four years, Mr. Beaty 
then buying out the others interest and taking his 
son John into the firm. Three years later he 
also admitted his other son, Elston, and the firm 
name became as at present, George W. Beaty & 
Sons. The large store building occupied by them 
was principally erected by himself. The main 
part is 66x86, two stories and basement in height, 
with a hall overhead used for lodge purposes, etc. 
The firm carry a fine stock of general dry goods, 
groceries, boots and shoes, furniture and hard- 
ware, and the sales have increased from about 
$10,000 to $23,000. 

Though he has found his time very fully occu- 
pied, Mr. Beaty always does his duty as a voter. 
He is a strong Republican, and has never desired 
official distinction, but on two occasions yielded 
to the earnest wishes of his neighbors and was 
collector and committeeman. He is a member of 
the Knights of the Golden Eagle and of the Order 
of Red Men. 

December 12, 1855, Mr. Beaty married Mar- 
garet Jane Waters, daughter of John Waters, of 
Lebanon Township. They have three living 
children: Alice, who is the wife of Walter Ramsey, 
of Scranton, Pa.; John and Elston, previously 
mentioned. Mrs. Beaty is a member of the Pres- 
byterian Church, and her husband, while not 
connected with the church, is a more generous 
contributor to its expenses, and likewise to the 
Methodist Church, than any one member of 
either. He is a true friend to those who are in 
need, and many such an one has called down 
blessings upon his head. 



EORNELIUS MESSLER owns a valuable 
farm situated about a mile south of the town 
of White House, Readiugton Township, 
Hunterdon County. He is of the sturdy, thrifty 
Holland-Dutch ancestry, that stock to which in 
great measure is due the prosperity and material 



364 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



wealth of New York state and adjoining sections 
of country. The founder of this family in Amer- 
ica was one Tennis de Metsellear, who emigrated 
from Holland and settled in Albany, N. Y. , in 
1 641. The paternal grandfather of our subject, 
Cornelius Messier, was a native of Hunterdon 
County, where he became an extensive land 
holder in time, and when the dark days of the 
colonial struggle for independence came on he 
responded to his patriotic impulses and fought 
for her liberty. 

The father of our subject was Isaac Messier, 
who was an influential citizen and agriculturist 
of this county, and held numerous local offices. 
He was born and grew to manhood in this re- 
gion, and subsequently was the fortunate posses- 
sor of large tracts of land. He married Henri- 
etta Reger, of this county, and their two children 
were Cornelius and Sarah C. 

Cornelius Messier was born in Readington 
Township, July 7, 1835, and from his boyhood was 
trained in the duties of farm management. He 
is considered an efficient and practical farmer, 
and has his fine homestead of eighty acres under 
good cultivation. In national elections he votes 
the Republican ticket, while in home affairs he 
believes in supporting suitable men, rather than 
party nominees. 

February 19, 1858, Mr. Messier married Ellen 
J. Davis, who was born and brought up in this 
township, and five children were born of their 
union: Mary E-, Susan A., Hattie, Isaac and H. 
Martin. Susan and Hattie were educated in the 
higher branches in Trenton, N. J., and later 
were successful teachers. Isaac is a graduate of 
a theological seminary and is now a minister in 
the Reformed Church in Sharon, N. Y. Hattie 
was the matron of the Seattle general hospital of 
Seattle, Wash., for one year, and is now attend- 
ing a medical college in Philadelphia, Pa. Mrs. 
Messier is a member of the Reformed Church of 
White House, N. J. 

Our subject and wife may well be proud of the 
high standing which they have in the neighbor- 
hood where their lives have been passed. They 
have reared noble sous and daughters to take 



places of usefulness in the great world, giving 
them excellent educational advantages and every 
opportunity possible for self-improvement. No 
one is able to truly say that Mr. Messier has not 
done his duty in each respect toward his family, 
his neighbors and the general public, for his 
name is above reproach. 



• »)2-«M(§§)®Jt-C{t 1 'r- 



MLEY H. DEATS is one of the most enter- 
'y prising young business men of Pittstown, 
mmm Hunterdon Count}-, of which place he has 
been a resident since he was about six years of 
age. For several years he was interested in lum- 
ber transactions here, but for the past six or seven 
years he has given his attention to the milling 
business, of which he is making a success finan- 
cially. He possesses those qualities of nature 
and training which rarely fail of being prospered 
in the world of commerce, and withal is so thor- 
oughly honorable and upright in all his dealings 
with others that his fellow-citizens place the 
utmost confidence in his word. 

The father of our subject, Emley O., sou of 
Hiram Deats, was also a native of this county, 
and passed his whole life within its boundaries. 
He died when in the prime of manhood, being 
but thirty-five years of age. He was a member 
of the Baptist Church at Cherryville, and was a 
faithful Christian in his daily life. For some years 
prior to his death he was employed in the agri- 
cultural works at Pittstown. The mother of the 
subject of this article was Miss Lizzie Hoff in her 
girlhood. She was a daughter of Philip and 
Mary Hoff. She had but the one child, Emley 
H., and died when he was an infant. 

The birth of Emley H. Deats occurred in 1867, 
in the vicinity of Baptistown, Hunterdon County, 
and in 1873 he came to live in Pittstown. His 
education was obtained in the excellent public 
schools of this place and in the South Jersey In- 
stitute, at Bridgeton, N. J. He embarked in 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



365 



business here about 1888 and soon won for him- 
self a high place among our merchants and citi- 
zens. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic 
order, being identified with Stewart Lodge No. 
34, F. & A. M., of Clinton. 

The marriage of Mr. Deats and Miss Lizzie P. 
Fritts was solemnized in 1889. She is a daughter 
of Stires Fritts (whose sketch is published in 
another part of this volume) , and by her marriage 
has become the mother of two bright children, a 
son and a daughter, named respectively, Leland 
F. and Marguerite H. The parents are both 
members of the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, 
of which he is a trustee. In his political belief 
he is affiliated with the Republican party. 



(JOHN A. LAUGER is numbered among the 
I wide-awake, enterprising young business 
Q) men of the pretty town of High Bridge, 
Hunterdon Count}-. He is a native of this place, 
his birth having occurred here about a quarter 
of a century ago, upon the 8th of September, 
1873. He is a son of Samuel G. and Margaret 
(Bogart) Lauger, who are respected citizens of 
Clinton, N. J. 

The first nine years of the life of our subject 
were happily and quietly spent in this his native 
town, after which, with his parents, he removed 
to Philadelphia. His father was engaged in 
business in the Quaker city for a period of three 
years or more, at the expiration of that time lo- 
cating in Clinton, where he has since made his 
home. Thus, his son, John A., was chiefly 
reared to manhood in the two towns of High 
Bridge and Clinton, and received his education 
principally in their public schools. From the time 
'he was twelve years old he helped his father what 
he could in the senior's business, and thus learned 
the details of the same while still a mere lad. He 
continued to work with his father until the winter 
of 1896, when he went to New York City and 



found employment with Alexander McCarty, a 
proprietor of a market at the corner of Fourth and 
Sixth avenues. There he stayed for several 
months, carefully husbanding his resources, and 
finally, in the spring of 1897, decided to embark 
in business on his own account. 

Having looked around he came to the con- 
clusion that there was no more promising town 
than that of High Bridge and here heaccordingl}- 
settled. He has already won the confidence and 
patronage of many of the best families of the place, 
and is on the high tide of prosperity. He keeps 
a fine assortment of meats, etc. , in his line, and 
strives to please his customers. He has thus far 
confined his efforts to the immediate trade of the 
townspeople, and finds that he is kept very busy 
in meeting their wants. 

In political affairs Mr. Lauger is a true-blue Re- 
publican, and is thoroughly patriotic. He is 
master of his trade and is a practical man of busi- 
ness. From his early youth he has been entirely 
dependent upon himself for a livelihood, and with- 
out capital or influential friends has accomplished 
whatever of success he now enjoys. February 22, 
1896, Mr. Lauger married Miss Maude Leather- 
man, who was born in Pennsylvania and has 
lived for several years in High Bridge. The young 
couple have a pretty and comfortable home, and 
the best wishes of a host of sincere friends, both 
here and elsewhere, are theirs. 



EHARLES W. LEIGH, of Clinton, Hunter- 
don County, is one of her most aggressive, 
wide-awake business men. He is actively 
interested in the commercial, political and social 
life of the town, and thoroughly endorses indus- 
tries, improvements, etc., wdiich tend toward the 
development of our local resources. In 1891 he 
helped to organize the creamery here, which was 
originally operated by a stock company, and in 
February, 1896, he and his partner, James 



3 66 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Wyckoff, became the sole proprietors of the enter- 
prise. It is prospering and brings a good income 
to the owners. 

Our subject comes of distinguished ancestry, 
and as his name indicates he is of fine old English 
stock. He is a descendant of Thomas, first Lord 
Leigh of Stanley, County Warwick, England. 
Five generations ago the first of the family set- 
tled in Amwell Township, Hunterdon County. 
He bore the Christian name of Joseph, and his 
son Ichabod, next in the line of descent, married 
Ann Stout, and their eldest son was Samuel. 
This Samuel was a soldier in the war of the 
Revolution, and was granted a life pension of 
$30 per annum for his services in the time of his 
country's need. He chose for his wife Amy 
Blackwell, and their ninth child was Samuel, the 
grandfather of our subject. He wedded Mary 
Taylor, and their eldest-born was John T. , father 
of Charles W., of this sketch. 

The birth of John T. Leigh occurred near 
Clinton, April 19, 1821. He had but limited 
advantages for obtaining an education, and was 
handicapped by poor health, and was not strong 
enough to stand farm work. When he was but 
twelve years of age he went to New Brunswick, 
and until he reached his majority was engaged 
as a clerk in a mercantile establishment. He 
thoroughly mastered the details of the business, 
and upon arriving at his majority he embarked 
in the commercial world on his own account, 
opening a store in Clinton. He conducted this 
business for about sixteen years, when he was 
obliged to give it up on account of failing health. 
For a few years he operated a farm just south of 
the bridge, near Clinton, he having purchased 
the same previously, and later he engaged in the 
manufacture of bricks there, and erected the sub- 
stantial brick residence which stands on the place. 
During the war he was active in support of the 
Union cause, and in his political faith he was an 
ardent Democrat until about fifteen years before 
his death, when he espoused the cause of the 
Prohibition party as a matter of principle. In 
partnership with two of his brothers, under the 
style of Leigh Brothers, he was for some time 



occupied in doing an extensive business in grain 
and wool, buying and selling. At one time they 
were the most extensive speculators of wool in 
this section; and they also dealt in live-stock. 

John T. Leigh was a trustee and deacon in the 
Baptist Church, and was one of the prime movers 
in establishing the same, and contributed from 
$7,000 to $10,000 to the building. He was one 
of the founders of the Clinton National Bank, 
and continued as a director in that institution 
until his death. In short, he was foremost in all 
local enterprises, and was loved, admired and 
respected by all who knew him. Largely through 
his efforts the town of Clinton was incorporated, 
and its citizens honored him by choosing him to 
serve as the second mayor. 

January n, 1844, Mr. Leigh married Fannie, 
daughter of Aaron and Mary (Van Syckle) of 
Norton, N. J. Of the seven children born to 
them three still survive: Bennett V. , cashier in 
the Clinton National Bank; Emily B., wife of 
A. L. Allen, an attorney in Chicago; and Charles 
W. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Leigh 
married her cousin, Mary Van Syckle, in 1S65. 
Of the children who came to bless their union, 
seven are still living, viz. : Bessie, wife of Howard 
Eilenburg; Fannie V., wife of William Weaver, 
of New York City; Lida, wife of Harry F. Angle, 
a jeweler of Clinton; Walter V., who is learning 
the jeweler's trade; Frank V., now serving an 
apprenticeship to the druggist's business in New 
York; Robert E. and Harold. Mr. Leigh died 
July 9, 1892. 

Charles W. Leigh was born near this town, 
February 11, 1857, and received his education in 
the public schools of Clinton and Lewisburg, Pa,, 
later attending Bryant & Strattou's business col- 
lege in Philadelphia, where he remained a year. 
As his father followed the policy of allowing his 
sons to choose their own occupation unbiased by 
him, young Leigh concluded to take charge of 
the dairy business on one of his senior's farms, 
and from that time until the death of his father 
he bought and sold live-stock. He was one of 
the first in this section to bring cattle here from 
the west. When he was about thirty he went 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



367 



to Wisconsin, purchased a carload of milch cows, 
and, though it was a long trip for this kind of 
stock, he brought them here successfully. He 
has continued to buy cattle, ship them here, and 
fatten them for the markets, and in connection 
with this he runs his creamery; he also handles 
brewers' grain, selling a couple of carloads a 
week. Politically he is a stanch Democrat, and 
was a member of the town council in 1895 ar >d 
1896. He belongs to Capoolong Lodge No. 185, 
I. O. O. F. , of Clinton, is past grand of the same 
and is also a charter member of Clinton Encamp- 
ment No. 14, of which he is past chief patriarch. 
October 29, 1878, Mr. Leigh married Carrie V. 
Terriberry. Her father, Frederick Terriberry, is 
now a citizen of Griunell, Iowa. Mrs. Leigh is a 
native of New Jersey, but with her parents re- 
moved to Princeton, 111., when she was a child of 
about five years. To our subject and wife one 
child has been born, Mabel, a bright young girl, 
loved by all who know her. 



30HN D. CREGAR is the proprietor of one of 
the finest and best-kept farms in Hunterdon 
County, it being situated in Clinton Town- 
ship, within two miles of the town of Aunandale. 
The numerous and well-filled buildings on the 
place give evidence of the fertility of the soil and 
the industry and judicious system of the owner in 
the management of his affairs. He is a practical 
agriculturist, and his pleasant and well-appointed 
home speaks in no uncertain tones of his good 
judgment and artistic taste. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
Andrew Cregar, who was born on the farm for- 
merly known as the River John Cregar place, 
but is now owned by William Yawger. It is lo- 
cated in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County. 
Andrew Cregar was a farmer during his entire 
life, as have been most of his descendants. The 
father of our subject was William Cregar, a sub- 



stantial citizen of Union Township, this count}', 
in his earlier manhood, and later of this locality, 
for he spent his last days on the homestead now 
in the possession of John D., of this sketch. To 
himself and wife, Elizabeth Dilts, four children 
were born: Charity C, wife of Edgar Lance, of 
High Bridge Township; John D. ; Andrew C, a 
farmer of Lebanon Township; and Thomas B., a 
farmer of this township. 

John D. Cregar was born March 4, 1836, near 
Norton, Union Township, Hunterdon County, 
and in his youth he acquired practical experience 
in the duties of a farm. He was educated in the 
neighborhood schools, at a time when such schools 
were supported by popular subscription. When 
he was about twenty years old his father removed 
to this township, buying the farm now owned by 
our subject, and which has since been his home. 
He remained with his father, giving his attention 
to the cultivation and improvement of the farm, 
and gradually assuming more and more of the 
manifold duties until his father's death, in 1867, 
when he bought the place from the other heirs. 
He owns one hundred and sixty-three acres here, 
another farm of one hundred and forty-eight 
acres adjoining, and sixty-eight acres in Lebanon 
Township and interests in other estates. For a 
quarter of a century he devoted much attention 
to dairying, shipping large quantities of milk to 
the cities, and he also has been interested in 
growing fruit and raising stock. He is not a 
politician, simply doing his duty as a voter, his 
ballot being given to the nominees of the Repub- 
lican party. Religiously he is identified with 
the Baptist Church of Clinton, and for eighteen 
years has been a deacon in the same. 

November 1, 1S64, Mr. Cregar married Mary 
E. Bodine, daughter of Peter and Susan (LeFoy) 
Bodine. The father was born in Hunterdon 
County, and was a son of John Bodine, whose 
home was at Three Bridges. Peter Bodine 
was a farmer by occupation, and when Mrs. 
Cregar was born was living in Washington, 
Warren County, N. J., but soon returned 
here, settling in Union Township, where he 
bought a farm and spent the rest of his life. He 



3 68 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was a member of the Baptist Church for a num- 
ber of years prior to his death and was esteemed 
by all who knew him. His children were as 
follows: Elizabeth L., wife of Holloway Van 
Sickle, of Holland Township; Daniel S., a busi- 
ness man of Stockton, N. J.; John T., deceased; 
Harriet C, who died in early womanhood; Hettie, 
who never married; Abraham L-, deceased; 
Catherine, widow of Asa C. Hill, of Medina, N. 
Y.; Jane, widow of Ezra Dewitt, of Scranton, 
Pa.; and Mary E. , Mrs. Cregar. 

The only living son of our subject and wife is 
Peter Bodine, a graduate of the South Jersey In- 
stitute, of Bridgeton, N. J., where he completed 
the scientific course; then graduated from the 
University of Pennsylvania with the degree of 
Bachelor of Science, and is now taking a series of 
studies in the Philadelphia Medical College. 
Another son, William Westcott, a young man of 
great promise, died when in his nineteenth year. 



••^H^i^M+cjV 



~t — '- 



HENRY F. CRAIG. Prominent among the 
progressive and prosperous agriculturists of 
Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, 
is the worthy citizen of whom we write. He is 
one who strives to do his whole duty as a neigh- 
bor, patriot, friend, as a father, husband and son, 
and, as a direct result of his uprightness and integ- 
rity of character, his friends are legion. In all 
measures calculated to advance the best interests 
of the community in which he dwells he takes an 
active part, and for the past four years he has 
served as a member of the township committee, 
two years of this time having been the treasurer 
of the board. His right of franchise is used by 
him in favor of the platform and nominees of the 
Democracy. 

Born September 8, 1850, Henry F. Craig is one 
of nine children, all but one of whom survive at 
this writing. The other brothers and sisters are 
named as follows: William, a resident of this 



township; Richard F. ; Sarah E. , wife of Henry 
M. Kline, of Clinton; Mary, wife of William B. 
Dunham, of Somerville, N. J.; Maggie, wife of 
William Waldron, of New Germantown; Anna, 
wife of John Skillman, now living on the old 
homestead of the family; and Robert, also on the 
old farm. Gertrude, the sister who is deceased, 
was the wife of David Dunham, of Clinton. The 
parents of these children were Robert and Eliza- 
beth (Fields) Craig, who came from old and re- 
spected county families. (See sketch of William 
Craig elsewhere in this volume for ancestral 
history.) 

The boyhood days of our subject passed with 
small event, as is common among farmer lads, 
whose time is spent in the quiet routine work of the 
homestead when not attending school. He con- 
tinued to reside under the old rooftree until he 
was grown to maturity, becoming thoroughly 
familiar with all of the business of the farm. 
September 29, 1875, he married Mary E. Wy- 
ckoff, daughter of Christian and Eetitia (Conover) 
Wyckoff. The young couple dwelt upon the old 
homestead of our subject's father during the next 
four years, he being busily engaged in managing 
the place in the meantime. In February, 1880, 
they removed to the home where they may be 
found to-day. It was formerly owned by Robert 
Craig, father of Henry F., and is a finely im- 
proved tract of land, comprising one hundred and 
eighty acres. Hereon are substantial buildings, 
fences, etc., all going to make up a model place. 
Mr. Craig has carried on general farming, raising 
grain and fruit, and dairying to some extent. He 
has a large peach orchard, and ships large quan- 
tities of the fruit to the city markets annually. 

One of the main aims of Mr. Craig in life is to 
bring up his children to be good and useful citi- 
zens of the several communities in which it may 
be their lot to dwell. To this end he is giving 
them excellent advantages in the way of an edu- 
cation, and, aided by his good wife, the home in- 
fluences surrounding them from the cradle have 
been of the best. They are named in order of 
birth: Edgar F., Charles W., Henry A. and 
Gertrude Dunham. Charles is now a student in 




HON. GEORGE M. SHIPMAN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



37i 



Ryder's Business College in Trenton, and Henry 
is attending the Delaware Academy of Delhi, N. 
Y. Mr. and Mrs- Craig are members of the 
Presbyterian Church in Lamiugton. Her father, 
Christian Wyckoff, was born in Middlebush, 
Somerset County, N. J., and removed from that 
locality to this county many years ago. He is 
still living, being eighty-four years of age, and is 
making his home with his son, Cornelius Wyckoff, 
of this township. 



ON. GEORGE MARSHALL SHIPMAN. 
As was his distinguished father before him, 
Judge Shipman is a leading member of the 
bar of Warren County, though his reputation is 
not confined to the limits of the same. More 
than twenty years have passed by since he was 
admitted to professional practice. He is a native 
of Belvidere and has spent most of his life in this 
pretty and enterprising town, in the upbuild- 
ing and improvement of which he takes a deep 
interest. 

The birth of our subject occurred April 20, 
1850. He is a son of Jehial and Mary Louisa 
(Morris) Shipman, whose history may be found 
elsewhere in this work. In his home life he 
lived in an atmosphere of literature and books. 
While he had the inspiration of his father's 
companionship and talents to quicken his am- 
bition and his example to emulate, yet much of 
his subsequent success in life has been due to 
the mental and moral training imparted to him 
by his mother, who is a woman of superior 
mental gifts and character. Her father, Will- 
iam C. Morris, was for many years prosecuting 
attorney for the county of Warren, and her 
mother was the daughter of the late Gen. 
William Stryker, a distinguished Jerseyman. 

Under the tutelage of Rev. Frederick Knigh- 
ton, D. D., of Belvidere Classical Academy, the 
subject of this sketch was prepared for college. 



In June, 1870, at the early age of twenty years, 
he graduated from Princeton, in the classical 
course. He then began the study of law under 
his father, and three years later was admitted to 
the bar. In June, 1876, he became a counselor. 
He was a partner of his father until the latter's 
death, and since then has practiced alone. In 
numerous civil and criminal cases in the county 
annals he has been actively engaged on one side 
or the other, and was connected with the noted 
murder trials of Patrick Ward, Titus, Bolak, 
Andrews and others. In the winter of 1898 
Governor Griggs appointed him presiding judge 
for the county of Warren, in the court of com- 
mon pleas. Since the death of his father he has 
taken his place as counsel for the Delaware, 
Lackawanna & Western, the New York, Susque- 
hanna & Western; the New Jersey Central and 
the Lehigh and Hudson Railroads. He is a di- 
rector in the East Bangor Slate Company, and a 
director and attorney for the Belvidere National 
Bank, vice-president of the Belvidere Water Com- 
pany, director of the Warren Woodworking 
Company and other large concerns. Socially 
he is a member of the Easton (Pa.) Pomfret 
Club. He is actively connected with the Ameri- 
can Bar Association. 

As a lawyer Mr. Shipman takes front rank 
among the leading members of the bar of New 
Jersey, and as a pleader in the higher courts of 
the state, United States, district and supreme 
courts, he has won distinction. His papers, 
which are prepared with great thoroughness, 
show broad knowledge and familiarity with the 
application of the principles of law. As an ad- 
vocate before court or jury, he brings to bear a 
mind thoroughly trained and cultured. He is a 
clear, logical and eloquent speaker, always pre- 
senting his case with ability and skill. In po- 
litical affiliations he is a stanch Republican and 
one of the leaders of his party in the state. 

June 26, 1878, Judge Shipman married Anna 
Louisa Wilson, daughter of Richard D. and Mar- 
garet (Stewart) Wilson, of Belvidere. They have 
three children, Margaret, Jehial G. and George 
M. The family are identified with the First 



37^ 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Presbyterian Church, of which Judge Shipruan 
has been a member since his boyhood; after the 
death of his father he was chosen to succeed him 
as a ruling elder. 



R ALTIS PICKELL, a life-long resident of 
l^\ Readington Township, Hunterdon County, 
i J is one of her prosperous and thoroughly 
practical agriculturists. In everything that bears 
upon the good of the people of this locality he is 
active and interested, always doing his full share 
in matters of improvement or in the support of 
general measures for his neighbors' welfare. He 
is the owner of a desirable homestead of one hun- 
dred and thirty-two acres, well improved with 
substantial farm buildings, fences, etc. He aims 
to keep everything about the place in a thrifty 
manner, and is esteemed one of the best farmers 
of this region. 

Our subject was born February 6, 1832, in 
Readington Township, and is a son of Abraham 
and Eliza (Vorhees) Pickell. They too were 
natives of Hunterdon County and were farmers 
by occupation. Their family numbered eight 
children, only two of whom are living at the 
present time, Frances A. and the gentleman of 
whom we write. The grandfather, Baltis Pickell, 
was likewise born and reared in this county, and 
here passed his mature life, his attention being 
given to rural enterprises. His ancestors were 
Holland-Dutch people, who came to America be- 
fore the Revolutionary war and since then the 
family has been resident in New Jersey for the 
most part. 

In the midst of country sights and occupations, 
Baltis Pickell's early days rapidly passed away, 
and before he had attained his majority he was 
well equipped as a practical farmer. Such edu- 
cation as he had gained was that afforded by the 
district schools of his home neighborhood, to- 
gether with such a fund of general information as 



he had picked up by reading and observation. 
From 1864 to 1876 he was engaged in the butcher 
business, but has also followed farming since his 
early manhood. In politics he is a Democrat. 

January 6, 1861, Baltis Pickell married Alice 
A. Alleger, who is of French descent, though her 
ancestors settled in Hunterdon County more than 
a hundred years ago. Mrs. Pickell grew to wom- 
anhood in this county, and by her marriage has 
become the mother of three children, viz.: John 
L-, Fannie V. and Minnie. The family are all 
church members, Mr. Pickell being a Methodist 
and his wife a Baptist. They stand very high in 
the regard of their associates, and are sterling 
people in every sense. 



30HN FRANKS has made his home in Phil- 
lipsburg for about thirty years, and is now 
agent and train dispatcher for the Delaware, 
Lackawanna & Western Railroad, for this town 
and also for Easton, across the river. He is act- 
ively interested in several local enterprises, being 
a man who believes in fostering home industries, 
both in a narrow and in the wider or national 
signification of the term, for he is a Republican, 
and an eloquent exponent of the party principles. 
He is president of the Warren County Gas Light 
Company; is treasurer of the No. 4 Building and 
Loan Association of Phillipsburg; is a director of 
the People's Water Company of this place, and is 
the owner of a paying coal business. During the 
campaign preceding the election of President Gar- 
field he organized a Garfield Republican Club, 
paying all of the expenses incident to the main- 
tenance of the same for three months, and in many 
ways was of great assistance to the party. In the 
fraternities he is a Mason, belonging to Inde- 
pendent Lodge No. 42, F. & A. M. ; Eagle Chap- 
ter No. 12, R. A. M., and DeMolay Commandery 
No. 6, the two last mentioned being of Washing- 
ton, this county. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



373 



The birth of John Franks took place in the 
town of Changewater, Hunterdon County, N. J., 
June 4, 1840. His father, George Franks, was a 
native of England, and came to the United States 
in 1 82 1, landing in the city of Baltimore, and lived 
in that neighborhood a few years. He built the 
Changewater mill and operated it in 1852. 
Later he removed to Newark, where he engaged 
in the manufacture of portable gas machines, and 
still later he ran a mill in Stanhope, Sussex 
County, N. J. In 1864, when superintendent of 
the Sussex Railroad, he was killed in a collision. 
His good wife, the mother of our subject, had died 
twenty years before, in 1844, leaving six children. 
Of these, Henry and Anna, wife of Lawrence Mc- 
Kinney, are residents of Newark, N. J.; Mary, 
who is unmarried, and Jennie, wife of John Clark, 
reside in Washington, D. C. A brother of George 
Franks is a retired officer of the British army, and 
was a participant in every battle of the Crimean 
war. 

Leaving school when but ten years of age, John 
Franks had meager opportunities of obtaining an 
education, but by reading and study, as well as by 
keen observation of men and events that have 
come beneath his notice, he is to-day a well- 
informed man. He was forced to begin earning 
his own livelihood at a time when he should have 
been in school, and up to 1852 he worked in his 
father's mill. Afterwards he learned the trade 
of a locksmith at Newark, N. J., and remained 
there until 1856. From that date until the out- 
break of the war he was his father's right hand 
man in the Stanhope mill. In 1861 he enlisted 
in Serrill's First New York Company of Engin- 
eers, and served all through the long and trying 
war period. He was one of the first of the white 
troops to enter Richmond April 3, 1865, on the 
day of the evacuation of the city by the Confeder- 
ates. He was honorably discharged with the 
rank of captain in July, 1865. 

On returning from years of struggle and hard- 
ship on southern battlefields, most men found it 
difficult in the extreme to collect their scattered 
business energies and to settle down to the hum- 
drum ways of peace, and so it was in the case of 



Mr. Franks. He was not long idle, however, 
but accepted the first employment that presented 
itself by which he might honestly earn his living. 
He became a laborer on the tracks of the Morris 
& Essex Division of the Delaware, Lackawanna 
& Western Railroad. In 1866 he was promoted 
to be foreman of a gang of workmen, and a little 
later he was made clerk in the freight office of the 
company at Hackettstown. Then he was given 
a position as an extra agent, and thus, from one 
place to another, he was gradually promoted, un- 
til in February, 1868, he was sent to take charge 
of the coal department at this point, which 
handled about two thousand cars of coal a day. 
In 1S72 he was given the additional work of 
freight master, and in these two capacities he 
served for twenty years. In 1892 he was made 
agent and train dispatcher, and still occupies this 
responsible post. He was married April 9, 1864, 
to Isabel, daughter of Francis D. Lawrence, of 
Sussex County, N. J. 



ON. LAWRENCE HAGER TRIMMER. 

This well and favorably known citizen of 
Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County, is 
one of her representative men, both in the busi- 
ness and political world. When he started out 
in life he was obliged to depend entirely upon his 
own resources, and has advanced step by step 
until he now holds a truly enviable place in the 
estimation of all who have the pleasure of his 
acquaintance. To his numerous financial enter- 
prises we will refer later, mentioning here the 
active part he has always taken in promoting the 
welfare of the Democratic party, to whose plat- 
form and principles he is devoted. In ac- 
knowledgment of the debt that they owed him 
in this regard his many political friends have 
often brought forward his name as a candidate 
for positions of honor and responsibility, and, 
having been elected, he has ever shown the spirit 



374 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of unwavering fidelity to the duties thus imposed 
upon him, and has sought the good of the public 
rather than his own. Among the positions which 
he has creditably filled are those of township 
committeeman and member of the legislature. 
He represented this second congressional district 
in the assembly of the state in 1889, 1890 and 
1 89 1, or three terms. 

The Trimmer family is one of the old and 
highly respected ones of New Jersey, it having 
been founded here in October, 1738, by one John 
Trimmer, whose first residence in America was 
in Philadelphia. At his death, in January, 1749, 
he left a valuable estate of three hundred acres 
situated in Amwell Township, this county. His 
eldest son, Matthias, had removed to German 
Valley some time prior to 1748, as the records 
show. He married Anna M. Neighbour, by 
whom he had ten children. His death took place 
in 1793. His third child, Jacob, first married A. 
Mary, daughter of Christopher Kern, and their 
four children were: Jacob, Christopher, George 
and Matthias. The last-mentioned, the grand- 
father of our subject, was born in 1785 and died 
August 31, 1 85 1. He married Elsie Bodine and 
had ten children, of whom Anthony, the sixth in 
order of birth, was the father of L. H. Trimmer. 

The birth of Anthony Trimmer occurred Febru- 
ary 16, 1 S22, in Lebanon Township. During his 
early years he helped with the farm work, attend- 
ing school in the winters. When he was about 
twenty-one he bought a farm of one hundred 
and thirty acres in his native township, and car- 
ried on this place until 1853, when he sold out 
and invested the amount realized in a homestead 
situated in Middle Valley, it being known as 
the Aaron Howell farm. On this land, a tract 
of two hundred and forty acres, he resided until 
1874, when he rented the farm, which in 1891 
was purchased by our subject. In all local affairs 
Anthony Trimmer took deep interest, doing his 
full share towards the advancement of the peo- 
ple's welfare. For years he was a township 
committeeman and an enthusiastic Democrat. 
Up to the time of his death, which event occurred 
in February, 1S96, and for some years previous, 



he was an elder in the German Valley Presb} r - 
terian Church. He married Mary, youngest 
daughter of Andrew Weise, and their children 
were as follows: Matthias, a business man of New 
York; Andrew, of Hackettstown ; L. H., of this 
sketch; Mary, wife of Jacob Hann, of Hacketts- 
town; Alice, deceased wife of Dr. Levi Farrow; 
Morris, who when eleven years of age fell over 
a wheelbarrow while playing and broke his 
neck; William S., who died of typhoid fever in 
January, 1896; George B., who when about 
twelve years old fell on the ice while skating and 
burst a blood-vessel in his head, this causing his 
death two days afterwards; Annie, wife of Charles 
A. Baker, who is in business in Ledgewood; 
Nellie, Mrs. E. D. Naughtright; and Charles, 
who was a victim of an accident. When he was 
twenty years of age he was caught between the 
bumpers of some cars and his arm was crushed, 
and from the resulting shock he never recovered. 
Mrs. Trimmer is still living, being now in her 
seventy-fifth year. She makes her home with 
her daughter, Mrs. Naughtright, and is in the 
enjoyment of excellent health. 

Lawrence Hager Trimmer was born November 
21, 1847, near his present residence. He may be 
truly said to be self educated, as his advantages 
were very meager when he was a boy, and it has 
been mainly through his own energy that he has 
become the well-informed man of the world that 
he is to-day. He worked on a farm until he 
reached his majority, when he turned his atten- 
tion to milling, and has continued in this line of 
business activity. His mill property was bought 
by him in 1870 and has since been operated by 
him. It is run by water-power and is now 
chiefly used in the manufacture of peach baskets. 
The factory is one of the largest in the county, 
turning out four thousand baskets per da}'. It is 
the policy of the owner to run the plant at its 
fullest capacity the year round, in order to give 
employment to some thirty hands, who would 
otherwise have difficulty in making a livelihood, 
especially in winter. In 1875 he embarked in 
the lumber business, as he owned a portable mill, 
and, having purchased a tract of timber, would 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



375 



proceed to cut it and convert it into lumber. He 
continued thus about ten years, and in 1887 
bought some fine timberland near Thomasville, 
Ga., but sold this two years later to the Quitman 
Lumber Company. 

Recentl}' Mr. Trimmer became largely inter- 
ested in the Middle Valley Trap Rock & Mining 
Company, which furnishes crushed stone, especi- 
ally suitable for macadamized roads. The plant 
and quarry are situated about a mile and a-half 
from the town of Middle Valley. The rock found 
here is the hardest in the state, and the plant has 
a daily capacity of four hundred tons, it being 
run by an engine of one hundred and fifty horse 
power. The company was organized April 6, 
1897, with L- H. Trimmer as president; John 
Wise, vice-president; Lemuel Neighbour, treas- 
urer; Silas Weise, secretary; and Philip R. 
George, manager, but now the entire stock is 
held by our subject and Mr. Neighbour. The 
former gives his whole time to the management 
of the business, which has increased to such an 
extent that the New Jersey Central Railway 
found it expedient to run a branch track to the 
plant, though it is some distance from the main 
line. The railroad has also erected a station 
near the house of Mr. Trimmer, and he has had 
a switch put in there at his own expense. The 
name of the station is Crestmoor. 

In short, Mr. Trimmer has led a very busy and 
useful life, bringing to bear upon all of the 
problems that have confronted him, whether in 
the commercial world or elsewhere, rare good 
judgment and superior executive ability. His 
many and varied personal interests have not con- 
sumed all of his time and attention, however, as 
he has taken a commendable share in public 
affairs and has strongly at heart the progress of 
the community in which he dwells. Socially he 
belongs to Lebanon Lodge No. 6, F. & A. M.; 
Mansfield Lodge No. 42, I. O. O. F. ; Fidelity 
Lodge No. 123, K. of P., and the Knights of 
Honor. 

February 26, 1869, Mr. Trimmer married 
Elizabeth, daughter of William Dufford, of Morris 
County, N.J. They have had fourteen children, 



of whom six are deceased, viz.: Leila; Frank and 
Olive, twins; Grace, Annie and L. H., Jr. The 
eight who survive are: Edwin, who is studying 
dentistry in the Philadelphia Dental College; 
May and Millie D., twins, the former the wife of 
W. A. Hoffman; Leona; Lamont, who is attend- 
ing school in Hackettstown ; Anthony, GroverC. 
and Samuel K. Mrs. Trimmer is a member of 
the Lower Valley Presbyterian Church, to the 
support of which her husband renders substantial 
financial aid and in which he acts as one of the 
trustees. 



->- y- -•••:2-«><':(T , ) , ->C-«- * - 



5JEORGE L. SHILLINGER is a very in- 
_ fluential business man of Phillipsburg, and 
J is equally prominent in political circles of 
this community. Few enterprises or industries 
which have added materially to the wealth and 
welfare of this place have not received his sup- 
port during a long period of years, and he is 
always safely counted upon to do all in his power 
as a patriotic citizen in the promotion of worthy 
concerns or improvements. 

The perusal of the history of a man who has 
risen by his own strength of character and true 
merit to a high place in any locality is always 
interesting, and is especially so in the case of Mr. 
Shillinger of this sketch. He was born in North- 
ampton County, Pa., Jul}' 10, 1857, an( l attended 
the district school in the winters until he was 
fourteen, when he commenced clerking in Stew- 
artsville, Warren County, N. J. At the end of a 
year he worked again on a farm for a time, then 
was a clerk in Phillipsburg, and subsequently was 
a canal boy on the Morris Canal one summer. 
The following winter he went to school again, 
and the next season returned to a former em- 
ployer, James Gardner, working as a clerk, un- 
til, at the age of nineteen, he became a partner in 
the firm, and so continued three years. Then, 
buying the interest of the others, he carried 011 



376 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the store for eleven years, since which time he has 
been a resident of Phillipsburg, and has owned a 
well-equipped store here ever since. Before leav- 
ing Stewartsville he served for three years as 
postmaster under a Democratic administration. 
At present he is a director in the Phillipsburg 
silk mill, is a member of the city board of trade, 
is a trustee and treasurer of the glass works here, 
a stockholder in the Phillipsburg Manufacturing 
Company (farm machinery) and the Furniture 
Manufacturing Company, of the latter concern 
having been one of the most active organizers; 
also stockholder in the horse shoe works and 
stockholder in the water works of Phillipsburg. 

In 1894 Mr. Shillinger was elected to the posi- 
tion of surrogate of Warren County, the first Re- 
publican ever honored with the office in this coun- 
ty, and his victory was the more marked because 
his majority was sixteen hundred and forty votes. 
He is a power in the ranks of his party, and has 
proved a most efficient officer whenever he has 
been called upon to fill public positions, as he has 
frequently done. He was a school trustee in Stew- 
artsville; was a freeholder here for four years, was 
a director of the Warren County almshouse for 
three years, and for four years was one of the com- 
mittee (and chairman of the same) of the Morris 
Plains asylum. In religious belief he is a Luth- 
eran, and belongs to the church at Stewartsville. 
He was elected as a delegate to the general synod 
of the denomination, which convened in Mans- 
field, Ohio, in 1890, this being an honor which is 
coveted by ministers as well as laymen in the 
church. In the fraternities he is connected with 
the Odd Fellows, being past grand master in the 
same, and is a member of the Red Men. In 
January, 187S, Mr. Shillinger married Mattie, 
daughter of Tunis Gardner. They have four 
children, Ada, Annie, Jennie and George L. 

Jacob, father of George L. Shillinger, was born 
in Northampton County, Pa., July 27, 1S33. 
His parents, George and Catherine (Eberlay) 
Shillinger, were both natives of Germany. The 
father settled on the Delaware River, in North- 
ampton County, Pa., and there followed farming, 
though for a time he was in the employ of the 



government in the manufacture of gun-stocks. 
He was a member of the Easton (Pa.) Lutheran 
Church. He died in the year 1867, aged seventy- 
six years, and his good wife survived him but five 
years. Of their five sons, only Jacob is now liv- 
ing. He was employed as a cooper for several 
years in his early manhood, but since 1861 has 
been interested in milling. In the fall of 1866 he, 
in company with his brother-in-law, Isaac Kich- 
line, bought the old mill property in Phillips- 
burg, it being supplanted in 1876 by a new one. 
This burned down later, and another building 
was put up by the firm. After the death of his 
brother-in-law, in 1877, Mr. Shillinger bought 
out the interest of the heirs, and continued to 
run the mill until September, 1S95, when he 
rented it to his two sons, Stewart A. and Samuel 
F. , who are now managing the same. Stewart 
A. married Mabel Barber and Samuel F. mar- 
ried Sarah, daughter of John I. Bird. The 
marriage of Jacob Shillinger occurred August 10, 
1856, the lady of his choice having been Louisa, 
daughter of Samuel Kichline. They are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church, and are most wor- 
thy citizens. 



m 



i 



(JACOB K. LEWIS, an honored old citizen of 
White House, Hunterdon Count)-, is a native 
Q) of Somerset County, N.J., his birth having 
taken place April 20, 1838. He is the only sur- 
viving child of a family of four whose parents were 
Samuel and Eleanor (Layton) Lewis, both natives 
of this state. Those who have died are Eveline, 
Isaac and Samuel. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, Isaac Lewis, was born and always resided in 
this state, but his father was a native of Holland. 
The family has long been numbered among the 
thrifty, industrious people of New Jersey, and 
have been noted for their patriotism and loyalty. 
Samuel Lewis was a prominent man in his neigh- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



377 



borhood, and held man)' local positions of respon- 
sibility and trust, such as assessor, collector of 
taxes, poor-master, etc. 

From his early recollections Jacob K. Lewis 
lived on a farm, as his father conducted a good 
homestead, in addition to running a tannery. He 
remained in Somerset County until he came to 
White House. Here he is engaged in black- 
smithing and is also an undertaker. He is an 
Odd Fellow, belonging to White House Lodge 
No. 207, and in political affairs he is to be found 
on the side of the Prohibition party, to the prin- 
ciples of which he is deeply devoted. By a life of 
the utmost probity, integrity and straightforward- 
ness of conduct he has won the esteem and good- 
will of a large circle of friends and associates. In 
his business he has been prospered, and is now 
well-to-do. 

November 2, 1878, Jacob K. Lewis and Cathe- 
rine Neff were united in marriage. Mrs. Lewis 
was born and reared to womanhood in New Jersey. 
She is the fourth of seven brothers and sisters, 
the others being, David, John, Fannie, Abraham, 
Jacob and George. Their parents were Jacob and 
Elinor (Biggs) Neff, both of this state, and far- 
mers by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are 
valued members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and lend their influence toward the sup- 
port of all worthy religious enterprises in this 
vicinity. ' 



ROBERT FENWICK, M. D., a retired phy- 
sician of Junction, Hunterdon County, is a 
native of England, having been born April 
14, 18 19, in the county of Durham, near New- 
castle-on-Tyne. He came to America in 1842, 
and since the termination of the Civil war has 
made his home in this town. He received a good 
general education in his native land and there 
took up the study of medicine under the instruction 
of a preceptor. For a time after his arrival in 
this country he engaged in teaching, in the mean- 



time keeping up his medical work, and at last he 
entered the New York University, graduating 
from the medical department with a degree in 
1854. 

The doctor began the practice of his profession 
in Auuandale, but during the panic of 1857 he 
went to Mayville, N. Y., and established himself 
in business. While living there the war broke 
out, and he enlisted on the three months' call, in 
June, 1862, in the One Hundred and Fourth New 
York Regiment. Upon his return he found three 
doctors in his vacant place, and he concluded to 
re-enlist in the service. He was commissioned 
surgeon in the One Hundred and Forty-sixth 
New York Regiment, and remained throughout 
the war. He participated in the numerous en- 
gagements in which the Fifth Army Corps was 
concerned, including the battles of Appomattox, 
Gettysburg, Antietam, Bull Run, etc. He was 
not, like some of the army surgeons, safely keep- 
ing himself in the rear of danger, but was noted 
for the daring and bravery which he constantly 
manifested, and many a narrow escape did he 
have. In one instance he was in the forefront of 
a battle-line, attending to a wounded soldier, 
when his colonel ordered him back. He had in- 
tended to take part in a charge that was planned, 
but the colonel would not hear to it, and fortun- 
ately he obeyed, as the charge was disastrous in 
the extreme, and the poor colonel, among many 
others, was killed. At the battle of the Wilder- 
ness, as he was caring for a soldier in the thickest 
of the struggle, a shell exploded near him, and 
it would have appeared that his time had come. A 
young man who was assisting him was killed, 
but the piece of the shell which did the work 
grazed his coat, and another fragment tore across 
the back of his hand, severing all of the tendons, 
this being the extent of his injuries. The wound 
was very painful, and after three months had not 
healed, but he returned to his post of duty, never- 
theless. His regiment was then in front of 
Petersburg and was greatly reduced in numbers, 
owing to the terrible struggle at Cold Harbor. 

The doctor was next at Weldon Railroad, and 
then at Hatchies Run. At the last-mentioned 



373 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



place a laughable incident occurred. Some rebels 
were partaking of their evening mess in a little 
hollow, when the members of a brass band, who 
were returning to the Union camp, lost their way 
and seeing the camp-fire drew near. The}' no 
sooner perceived that the party around the fire 
was of the enemy than the latter discovered them, 
and there was nothing for them to do but to make 
a charge. With a blast on their musical instru- 
ments the Union band dashed forward, command- 
ing the rebels to surrender, which they did, as 
they had been taken by surprise and were un- 
armed. They were greatly chagrined when they 
found they had been captured by a brass band, 
but they made the best of the situation, and fra- 
ternized immediately after they had surrendered. 

When the war clouds rolled away the doctor 
returned to his interrupted practice, and at once 
settled in Junction, where he had to begin at the 
beginning again and laboriously build up a repu- 
tation and clientage. He succeeded fairly well in 
his endeavor, but found that the best energy and 
endeavor of his life had been spent on the battle- 
field of his adopted country. He has been con- 
nected with the local Grand Army post for a 
number of years, but has not recently attended 
the same. He uses his franchise on behalf of the 
Republican party, and is loyal to its principles, 
which he believes are for the best interests of the 
people. 

February 9, 1849, the doctor married Sarah B., 
daughter of George and Mary Henry, of Bethle- 
hem, this county. Of their children those living 
are: Georgiana, born November 3, 1849, wife of 
Adam Riuehart, of Pennsylvania; Fannie, Mrs. 
Abraham Van Derveer, of Dover, N. J.; How- 
ard, born March 7, 1853, and now a conductor 
on the New Jersey Central Railroad, his home 
being in Junction; Kate, born July 1, 1856, 
wife of William J. Hodge, of Kearney, N. J. ; 
Sarah Helen, born October 23, 1862, wife of W. 
E. Smith, of Scranton, Pa., but she died March 
25, 1898; Robert, Jr., born April 7, 1865, a con- 
ductor on the Central Railroad, with his home 
in Junction; and Barbara, born October 17, 1869, 
wife of Peter Hardy, of this place; George, 



born April 20, 1867, was a conductor on the 
Central Railroad, and was killed at Mauch Chunk, 
when in his twenty-seventh year. Mary Bertha, 
born September 6, 1871, died May 31, 1895. 



KEV. S. J. ROWLAND, pastor of the Pres- 
byterian Church of Clinton, Hunterdon 
County, is in the prime of his life and useful- 
ness, and during the period that he has ministered 
to the spiritual needs of this congregation he has 
been blessed. His influence for good is a power 
in this community beyond his own most sanguine 
expectations, and his man}' quiet acts of kindness 
and generosity towards the poor and needy and 
suffering makes his name associated with a prayer 
or blessing on the lips of many whom the world 
knows not of. In his daily life he puts into active 
practice the noble principles that he teaches, and 
this it is that raises him to an exalted place in the 
estimation of all who know him. 

The parents of the above are James and Mar- 
garet (McNeily) Rowland, natives of Delaware 
County, N. Y. , and Ireland, respectively. The 
father has been a life-long agriculturist, a good 
and patriotic citizen, a kind neighbor and friend, 
and a tender husband and father. His wife came 
to America with her parents when she was a child 
and was reared to womanhood in Delaware County, 
N. Y. The worthy couple, though now advanced 
in years, are still in the enjoyment of perfect 
health and the possession of all their faculties. 

Rev. S.J. Rowland was born in West Kortright, 
Delaware County, N. Y., November 17, 1852, and 
obtained his primary school education in the pub- 
lic ones of that locality. Later it was his privilege 
to attend the Delaware Literary Institute in Frank- 
lin, and afterwards he was a student in Stanford. 
In 1873 he matriculated in Princeton College, 
graduating from that institution of learning four 
years subsequently. He then entered the theolog- 
ical seminary at Princeton, where he completed 




JOHN GRANDIN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



38i 



the required course of study in 1880. During the 
vacations and intervals in his collegiate career the 
young man engaged in teaching, meeting with 
success in that line of work. Having been admit- 
ted to the ministerial office he was placed in charge 
of a congregation in Dayton, N. J., and at the end 
of two years and a-half of earnest endeavor in that 
field he was transferred to Fayetteville, N. Y. 
In 1884 he came to his present pastorate, where 
he has been a very active and zealous worker in 
the Master's vineyard. 

August 6, 1884, the marriage of Mr. Rowland 
and Miss Sadie B. Schneck, a charming and 
accomplished young lady of Dayton, N. J., was 
solemnized. She is a daughter of the well-known 
citizen of that place, George W. Schneck. A son 
and daughter blessed the union of our subject and 
wife, called respectively, Reginald and Nina. 



*J=^£ 



30HN GRANDIN. The life of a good man 
has an influence that is very far-reaching, an 
influence that cannot be estimated, and truly, 
"their works do follow them." When the pil- 
grim is worn and wearied with the struggles of 
life's battlefield the gentle angel of death bids 
him rest from his labors and enter into his reward. 
Among the men whose upright, noble lives helped 
to uplift and better humanity in the community 
in which their lot was cast was numbered for 
years the worthy citizen whose name is placed at 
the beginning of this review. He was a native of 
Hunterdon County, his birth having taken place 
upon the old homestead where his father had 
settled in the latter part of the last century. His 
birthplace was the old farm house in Hamden 
that had been erected by his senior, and this 
building is still standing in a fair state of preser- 
vation. 

The Grandin family originated in France, those 
of the name in this country being descendants of 
Daniel Grandin, who emigrated to America from 



France about 1725 and located in Monmouth, N. 
J. His sons, John and Philip, later removed to 
Hunterdon County, where they purchased an es- 
tate of some one thousand acres. They followed 
agricultural pursuits and also built a milling 
property, where they manufactured cloth, the en- 
tire surrounding country being supplied from 
this source in early days. The water right of 
this mill was granted in 1752 and transferred to 
them in 1759. No family occupied so prominent 
a place in the early history of this section, and 
their influence was potential in shaping the early 
commercial, social and religious life of this com- 
munity. 

In his boyhood and youth John Grandin made 
the best of his opportunities, which were meager 
enough, at least in an educational way, for the 
schools of that day were of little account in the 
sparsely settled districts of the country. He 
early learned the practical duties of agriculture, 
and when he arrived at a suitable age he em- 
barked in business for himself. As the years 
passed he took a place among the enterprising 
and successful farmers of the time, and gained 
for himself a reputation for fairness, justice and 
strict integrity of word and deed that was worth 
more than mere worldly possessions, and is a 
legacy of which his children were justly proud. 
He was quiet and unassuming, attending to his 
own affairs, and whenever the chance came in his 
way, was ready and glad to lend a helping hand 
to a neighbor or to the poor. Nature gifted him 
with a keen, quick intellect, and he frequently 
did notary work or other things which the 
ordinary man of his period felt himself incapable 
of attempting. His long and useful career was 
brought to a close January 13, 1884, and his 
memory is cherished by the hosts of friends whom 
he had endeared to himself by his noble qualities. 

September 17, 1S16, the marriage of Mr. 
Grandin and Elizabeth H. Reading was solemn- 
ized. Together they passed along the rugged 
journey of life, sharing each other's burdens and 
pleasures until the beloved wife and mother was 
summoned to the silent land, October 14, 1842. 
Thenceforth the bereaved husband pursued his 



15 



*S2 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



routine of work and effort alone for over forty years, 
but was ever cheered by the thought that in a 
little while, after all, they should be reunited, to 
part no more. Their union was blessed with five 
children, viz.: Daniel, Mary, Elizabeth, Dr. John 
F. and Jane E. Of the entire family only the 
youngest, Miss Jane, survives. She is a lady of 
most lovable characteristics, a sincere Christian, 
and a valued worker in the Presbyterian 
Church. Her home has been in the town of 
Clinton for a number of years, and in this lo- 
cality she has numerous friends, who esteem her 
most highly. 



•♦•>»;N0>>^> — t— s- 



[~~ RANCIS ROBERT LEE. The life which 
f3 this narrative sketches was spent inHunter- 
| f don County, where it began in 1S02 and 
closed in 1892. Spared to attain an age which 
few reach, Mr. Lee did not, with advancing 3 r ears, 
lose his interest in his fellow-men, but retained to 
the last the progressive spirit that had character- 
ized him when in his prime. The latter part of 
his life was quietly passed in Baptistown, where 
he and his family were surrounded by the com- 
forts his industry had accumulated and rendered 
possible. The majority of his co-workers have 
passed away, but he is remembered by the pres- 
ent generation as a man of worth of character 
and unflinching honesty. 

William Lee, father of our subject, was born in 
1752 and throughout life followed the calling of 
a teacher, having charge of schools in different 
parts of Hunterdon County. In early years he 
identified himself with the Presbyterian Church, 
with which he remained connected until his death, 
at the age of eighty years. By his marriage to 
Mary McCollom, he had a family often children, 
but all of these are now deceased. Francis Rob- 
ert was reared near Patteuburg and when quite 
young turned his attention to farming, which he 
made his lifework. In 1833 he purchased the 



farm situated one mile from Baptistown and now 
owned by his children. There he made his 
home for thirty-five years, engaged in the culti- 
vation of the place. Finally, however, he re- 
tired from active labor, and removed to the vil- 
lage of Baptistown, where he resided until his 
death, thirty years later. 

When the Republican party was organized Mr. 
Lee became one of its adherents, being a support- 
er of the theory of protection of home industries. 
Later, however, realizing the injury wrought 
by the liquor traffic, he became a Prohibitionist, 
and ever after gave his allegiance to the party 
pledged to oppose the saloon. In the Baptist 
Church he served as a deacon for half a century 
and his conduct was always consistent with his 
profession as a Christian. To that church also 
belonged his wife, Esther, daughter of Joseph 
and Susan Dalrymple, and a woman of estimable 
character. She passed away at the age of seven- 
ty-five, some 3'ears before her husband's death. 
Of their eight children three are now living. 
Ann H., who resides in Baptistown; Mary, wife 
of Archibald Trout; and Elizabeth, Mrs. J. M. 
Pittinger. The deceased children were named 
William, Joseph, Samuel, Sarah and Charles M., 
the latter being a young man of superior ability, 
a graduate of Geneva (N. Y.) College and after- 
ward a practicing physician at Ringoes, Hunter- 
don County, until his death at thirty-two. He 
married Caroline Waldron, of New York state, 
and they became the parents of a son, Charles M. 
W. , who is now a medical student in Philadel- 
phia. 



Gl NDREW J. REEVES, who for over three 
1 I decades has been numbered among the 
J J leading citizens of Junction, Hunterdon 
County, has taken great interest in everything 
pertaining to the upbuilding and development of 
the place. He was very prominently connected 
with the movement which resulted in the incor- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



333 



poration of Junction asaborough, which measure 
has been of undoubted benefit to this community, 
in that the taxes have been reduced and more 
local improvements inaugurated than ever before 
were feasible. Since then he has been a member 
of the council, and has been noted for his favoring 
of all things in the way of progress. He votes 
the Democratic ticket, and has officiated as a 
committeman for a number of 3 r ears. 

The birth of A. J. Reeves took place in the 
township of Lebanon, in this county, February 
14, 1835. His father, George Reeves, was a na- 
tive of England, coming from his former home 
direct to Hunterdon County, and here spending 
the remainder of his days. He followed farming 
in Bethlehem Township for years prior to his 
death, which event occurred in 1858. He was a 
Democrat politically, and in religion was a Meth- 
odist, being a trustee in the church. For his 
wife he chose Margaret Henry, of this county, 
and of the five children born to them three are 
now living. Henry E. is a resident of Fleming- 
ton and John C. makes his home in Clinton. Will- 
iam C, who lived to maturity, and Sylvester, 
who died while young, are the two who have been 
called to the silent land. 

In his youth our subject had small advantages 
in an educational way, but made the best of such 
as he had, and in time became the well-informed 
man that he is to-day, mainly by reading and 
practical experience in the business world. When 
he was about eighteen years of age he left home 
and began learning the trade of a shoemaker. At 
this calling he was employed several years in 
different places prior to coming to Junction. 
After coming to this place he conducted a 
boot and shoe store, which he carried on for 
twenty-six years. He sold out his stock in 1896, 
since which time, in order not to be idle, he does 
repairing. He was careful of his means, making 
a practice of laying aside a portion of his earnings, 
and from time to time investing his funds judi- 
ciously. In this manner he gained a foothold 
financially , and for a number of years he was a 
director of the Clinton National Bank, and still 
holds considerable stock in that well-known insti- 



tution. In 1867 he settled in Junction, where he 
owns some property and has built several houses. 
The cause of education finds in him a sincere 
champion, and he is ever to be- found on the side 
of better facilities for the rising generation. His 
services, during the fourteen years that he has 
been a member of the board of education here, 
have had a beneficial effect upon our local school 
system in many respects. Since 1890 he has been 
treasurer of Minerva Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F., 
of Junction, and is also identified with Hero En- 
campment No. 42. 

March 6, 1867, Mr. Reeves was united in mar- 
riage with Adeline Rinehart, whose father was 
the late Peter Rinehart, of Bethlehem Township. 
The only child of our subject and his estimable 
wife is Carrie, now the wife of Dr. W. J. Hardy, 
of Belmont, Allegany County, N. Y. 



Gl UGUSTUS HINKEL is a worthy represent- 
LJ ative of the Fatherland, which country has 
J J contributed much toward the development 
and prosperity of New Jersey, through her vigor- 
ous, true-principled sons, who have made this 
their adopted country and home, and have given 
of their sturdy manhood to advance civilization. 
This gentleman of whom we write has been 
a resident of Lebanon, Hunterdon County, for 
the past twenty-two years, and during this period 
has lent his influence to the support of all enter- 
prises calculated to accrue to the lasting benefit 
of the town. 

A son of Frank and Mary Hinkel, our subject 
was born in the province of Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany, March 19, 1849, and was educated in 
the schools of his native land. He served an ap- 
prenticeship of three years as a blacksmith, and 
when but seventeen he, in company with two 
other youths of about the same age, left home 
and sailed for America, the land of promise. 
Going to Philadelphia, where he had some distant 



384 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



relatives whom he had never seen, Augustus 
Hinkel thus made his start in the New World in 
the Quaker city. He had all of the disadvan- 
tages which confront the stranger in a strange 
laud, the unknown language, the lack of friends 
and influence, and he was, moreover, almost with- 
out funds. He had a brave heart and willing 
hands, however, and it was not long ere he had 
gained a footing, from which time onward the 
way was easier. He followed his trade in Phila- 
delphia for about a year, then going to New Ger- 
mautown, Hunterdon County. There he worked 
as a journeyman several years, and in 1875 he 
embarked in business on his own account, by pur- 
chasing his employer's shop. He did general 
blacksmith work, painting and repairing vehicles 
and similar work. 

In 1876 Mr. Hinkel sold out his business in 
New Germantown, and removing to Lebanon, 
bought out David Brown, rebuilding the shop, 
enlarging and increasing its capacity as his in- 
creasing trade demanded. He is a thorough me- 
chanic, being master of his trade, and at present 
does some manufacturing in addition to job work. 
His wife's father, George N. Apgar, formerly car- 
ried on the same shop originally established by 
his father, Henry Apgar, and in addition to this 
ran an undertaking establishment. Five years 
ago Mr. Hinkel, in company with Peter S. Niper, 
opened an undertaking business, and is still in- 
terested in the same. In political matters he is a 
Democrat. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging 
to Stewart Lodge No. 34, of Clinton, and also is 
a member of Vesper Lodge No. 239, I. O. O. F. , 
of Lebanon. 

While a resident of New Germantown Mr. Hin- 
kel was first married, his wife being Ernestine 
Kern, who, like himself, was a native of Ger- 
man}'. They became the parents of two children: 
Ernestine, who died in infancy, and Mary, now 
the wife of Gustav Eleert, of Newark. The lady 
who now bears the name of our subject was for- 
merly Alma Apgar, of this vicinity, and daughter 
of George N. Apgar. Mr. and Mrs. Hinkel are 
members of the Reformed Church of this place, 
he having held a number of official positions in 



the congregation. He deserves great credit for 
the success he has attained, as it is the result of 
his years of honest, industrious toil and sturdy 
purpose to win in the way he had marked out for 
himself. 



'HEODORE MILLER, M. D. For about a 
quarter of a century this successful physi- 
cian has been established in a large and 
constantly growing practice in Califon, Hunter- 
don Count}'. During the five years just elapsed 
he has made a specialty of gynecology or the 
diseases of women, and has been particularly 
fortunate in his dealings in this branch of medical 
science. From his early student days he has 
been unremitting in his researches, as he is of the 
class of progressive men who are not satisfied 
to stand still, but are ever pressing onward to 
greater success and wider knowledge in the 
chosen field of their efforts. Besides attending 
to the demands of his profession the doctor has 
owned and carried on a well-equipped drug store 
here, but of late his time has been so fully oc- 
cupied that he has placed in charge of the store 
his nephew, Dr. John Miller, who is his right 
hand assistant in many ways. 

The paternal grandparents of our subject are 
John and Mary L. (Lane) Miller. The former 
was a native of England, came to America when 
a young man and thenceforth dwelt in the 
neighborhood of Flemington, N. J. His wife 
was born in New York City and was a descendant 
of Anne Kajans, a well-known character in the 
history of New York state. The children of 
John and Mary (Lane) Miller were: Charles, of 
Flemington; John, Jr., and Phoebe, who became 
the wife of Acker Moore, of Sand Brook, Hunter- 
don County. John Miller, Sr., was a blacksmith 
by trade, and followed that calling in Morris 
County until late in life, when he removed to 
Califon, here passing his declining days. He 
died in 18S2, being survived six years by his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



385 



faithful wife, and they lie side by side in Tower 
Valley Cemetery. In her girlhood Mrs. Miller 
was Mary L- Ribbons. Of their children the fol- 
lowing survive: Ada, wife of John Apgar, of 
Califou; Theodore; Dr. Henry H., of Lebanon; 
Jacob N., a farmer of this locality; John B., a 
blacksmith in Powell, N. J.; Leonard F., of 
Califon; Morris, a resident of Stephenburg, N. J., 
and father of Dr. John Miller, previously men- 
tioned; and Charles, a retired merchant of this 
place. 

The birth of Dr. Theodore Miller took place 
August 16, 1853, in Middle Valley, and in his 
boyhood he helped his father dutifully at the forge 
and in many other ways. He was of a studious 
turn of mind and seemed gifted by nature with 
unusual ability. He early determined to have a 
first-class education, and after leaving the com- 
mon schools he entered Stoutenburg Seminary, 
at Schoolish Mountain, N. J. Later he was a 
pupil in the Collegiate Institute in Matawan, 
and when he was but sixteen he obtained a school 
and for the next four years taught with very 
marked success. In the meantime he was him- 
self a student, reading medical works under the 
tutelage of Dr. J. S. Lindabury, of Mouutainville, 
for three years. After pursuing a course in the 
New York University he graduated therefrom in 
the spring of 1873. He immediately opened an 
office for practice in Califon, and has been here 
up to the present time. His reputation has be- 
come more than local and he ranks high in the 
estimation of his brother-physicians. 

In the fraternities the doctor is identified with 
Fidelity Lodge No. 122, K. of P., of which he is 
a charter member; he is also a Mason, belonging to 
Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. &. A. M., of Clinton. 
Politically he is a Democrat. Both he and his 
wife are connected with Lower Valley Presbyte- 
rian Church. His first marriage was with Emma 
G. Welsh, daughter of David Welsh, and to this 
union one child, Nellie, was born. Her mother 
died in October, 1878, since which time she has 
lived with her grandparents. October 5, 1882, 
the doctor married Carrie N. Leigh, whose 
parents were Gabriel and Hannah R. (Latowrette) 



Leigh, of Potterstown, N. J. Three children 
were born to our subject and wife, Carrie; two 
died in early childhood and their sole surviving 
child is Clare. They have a pleasant home and 
take genuine delight in entertaining within its 
hospitable walls their hosts of friends. 



3 AMES P. GARY. The record of the Gary 
family shows that it was founded in America 
by four brothers who came from Scotland 
and settled, one in Maryland, another in South 
Carolina, the third in Georgia, and Peter (our 
subject's ancestor) near Croton, in New Jersey. 
Among the other pioneer settlers they were 
known for their integrity of character and energy 
of disposition. Peter Gary, Jr., a son of the 
original pioneer, spent his entire life in the neigh- 
borhood of Croton, where he was known as the 
rake maker. He died when about fourscore 
years of age. His son, Mahlon, who was born 
near Croton, learned the wheelwright's trade in 
youth, and this he followed until his death, at the 
age of forty-five. He chose as his wife Sarah, 
daughter of William and Rachel (Evans) Case; 
she was a life-long adherent of the Baptist faith 
and was a woman of much sweetness of heart and 
sincerity of character. Her life was prolonged 
beyond the usual span of existence, closing when 
she was ninety-one years of age. Of her eight 
children four are now living, namely: Mary, who 
is the widow of John Madison; Peter, who resides 
in Raritan, N. J.; James P.; and Ruth, wife of 
C. Philhour. 

At the family homestead in Raritan, near Cro- 
ton, the life here sketched began in 1S26. Until 
sixteen years of age the boy remained on the 
home farm, but in 1842 he went to Washington, 
Warren County, and there learned the wheel- 
wright's trade, which he followed for some time. 
For seven years he was an employe in a machine 
shop at Ouakertown. In 1856, coming to Bap- 



;S6 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tistown, he bought his present homestead, a farm 
of fifty acres, situated in Kingwood Township, 
and in 1867 he increased his possessions by the 
purchase of the William Roberson farm of eighty- 
one acres. He has carried on farm pursuits and 
the wheelwright's trade since 1857, ar >d ^ as 
been quite successful financially. 

Politically a Republican, Mr. Gary has been 
chosen on his party ticket to occupy a number of 
responsible local offices. For five years he was 
justice of the peace and from 1870 until 1874 he 
held the position of postmaster at Baptistown, 
both of which he filled in a manner satisfactory 
to all and indicative of his ability and intelli- 
gence. He and his family attend the Baptist 
Church, in the work of which he is interested and 
to which he is a contributor. In 1856 occurred 
his marriage to Miss Elizabeth L. , daughter of 
Samuel and Mary Ann (Leonard) Dalrymple. 
Four children bless their union: William; Mary 
E., wife of John R. Sutton; Mahlon G.; and 
Frank L. , who are engaged in the mercantile bus- 
iness at Reaville, Hunterdon Count}'. 



-:- }-• ■♦ ; 2-iH@K •-!<♦• < "'■- 



HORATIO P. MILBERN is the proprietor of 
the Pattenburg Hotel, in Pattenburg, Hun- 
terdon County, having had charge of it 
since the spring of 1890, when he became its pur- 
chaser. The house is a large, well-appointed 
structure, affording pleasant and ample accom- 
modations to the traveling public. Since he as- 
sumed the management he has renovated and re- 
furnished a large share of the rooms, making 
many improvements and greatly raising the stand- 
ard of the establishment. 

Few men have led a more eventful and busy 
life. For over a quarter of a century Mr. Mil- 
bern was occupied in railroad construction, and 
hi the discharge of his manifold duties was em- 
ployed in nearly every state and territory of the 
Union, the sole exceptions being New Hamp- 



shire, Vermont, Florida and Washington. Among 
the railroads which he assisted in building is the 
Union Pacific and among the varied departments 
of labor in which he was employed are stationary 
engineer, foreman of steam-shovel gang, steam- 
pumps, etc. etc. In the early part of 1890 he 
determined to settle down, as he was about tired 
of the numerous moves which he was always 
having to make, owing to the nature of his em- 
ployment, and, having seen all portions of this 
fair land and dwelt in scores of towns, he yet 
preferred to return to the county of his birth, to 
pass his remaining years among the familiar 
scenes of his youth. 

The eldest of six children who survive of a 
family originally numbering eleven, H. P. Mil- 
bern was born March 10, 1840, in Reaville, Hun- 
terdon County. His parents were Joseph and 
Catherine (Carkuff) Milbern, and his surviving 
brothers and sisters are: Nancy, wife of Mahlon 
Smith, of Nebraska; Sarah, wife of Bishop Smith, 
of Jersey City; Margaret, Mrs. John Hand, of 
Glen Gardner; Jonas, a machinist of New Durham; 
and Lycurgus, a railroad man of New Durham. 
The early advantages of our subject, especially 
in the way of an education, were extremely 
meager. He began to earn his own living when 
but nine years old by working for neighboring 
farmers and from the time that he was seventeen 
has been entirely dependent upon his own re- 
sources. When the war broke out he enlisted in 
Company H, Third New Jersey Infantry, and at 
the end of three months, the term of his enlist- 
ment, he returned to the service, becoming a 
private in Company G, Thirtieth New Jersey 
Regiment. During the following nine months he 
participated in the numerous and ofttimes disas- 
trous battles in which his regiment was con- 
cerned, among these being that of the first Bull 
Run conflict. He was wounded in that memor- 
able battle but remained in the ranks, doing gal- 
lant service in behalf of the stars and stripes he 
has ever held dear. Afterwards began his rail- 
road experience, which extendend up to eight 
years ago, when he justly felt that his arduous 
and active career should begin to flow in more 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



387 



peaceful channels. The boys who wore the blue 
and fought under the same flag with himself have 
always maintained a warm place in his heart, 
and since locating here he has joined the Lam- 
bert Boeman Post No. 48, G. A. R., of Fleming- 
ton. In his political faith he has always been a 
Democrat. 

The first marriage of Mr. Milbern was cele- 
brated March 9, 1863, when Miss Catherine 
Hoagland became his wife. They had two chil- 
dren, but both died and the mother followed 
them to the better land August 8, 1890. The 
present wife of our subject was formerly Rosie J. 
Lake, a daughter of John Lake, whose home is 
near Flemington. Mr. and Mrs. Milbern have 
one child, Lizzie. Mrs. Milbern is a member of 
the German Reformed Church. 



(3AMUEL J. CARHART, proprietor of a 
j\ general store in Annandale, Hunterdon 
C*y County, is a man who has risen from an 
humble position to a place where he commands 
the respect and admiration of all. By his own 
individual effort, by honest hard work and un- 
tiring perseverance at whatever he undertook he 
gradually made a place for himself, and is now 
numbered among the well-to-do and influential 
citizens of this county. Not only in the com- 
mercial field, but in the social circles of this town 
as well, he is welcomed and popular. He is an 
Odd Fellow, connected with Stuart Lodge No. 
154, of Trenton, belongs to the German Valley 
Encampment and to the Knights of the Golden 
Eagle and is identified with Mutual Lodge No. 64, 
Knights of the Golden Chain, of Trenton. 

S. J. Carhart was born December 5, 1852, in 
Springfield Farm, near Calvert, Cecil County, 
Md. His father, Larison J., was a native of 
Pennsylvania, but for a number of years has been 
a prosperous farmer of Maryland. Of the four 
children born to himself and wife, Demaris C. 



Hambleton, only two are still living. Our sub- 
ject was but thirteen years old when he lost his 
mother, and the home was broken up. He went 
to live with an uncle, Capt. Samuel Bonnell, near 
Clinton, remaininig with that worthy man until 
he was in his twentieth year. His education 
was obtained in the common schools and Clinton 
Academy. Upon entering the business world he 
found employment as a traveling salesman for a 
Geneva nursery company of Geneva, N. Y., for 
two years, after which, about 1877, ne located at 
Newtown, Pa., and was foreman of a nursery 
company there four years. His next employ- 
ment was with William Daltou & Co., of 
Trenton, N. J. This great concern, dealing in 
wholesale groceries, do an annual business of 
about a $1 ,000,000. 

Young Carhart commenced with them in an 
inferior position at small wages, and gradually 
worked his way up until he occupied one of the 
most responsible posts in the management. This 
was due to the faithfulness he manifested and his 
steady application to business, but his health be- 
came somewhat impaired by this very means, 
and he at last resigned. He bought a stock of 
goods at Middle Valley soon afterwards, and con- 
ducted a store there successfully five and a-half 
years. In addition to carrying on this business 
he also ran a coal yard for a time with profit. In 
1893 he sold out his former ventures and re- 
moved to Annandale, where he purchased the in- 
terest of his predecessor and put in a clean stock 
of goods. Here he has done remarkably well, 
and his trade is constantly on the increase. In 
the best sense of the term he is a natural financier 
and business man, far-seeing, methodical, punct- 
ual in meeting all obligations, obliging and 
courteous to one and all. One needs but to step 
inside of his well-appointed place of business to 
form a good idea of the volume of his custom, as 
a scene of bustling activity is always presented to 
the observer. In political matters he is a Re- 
publican. 

October 14, 1875, Mr. Carhart married Lucinda 
Gano, daughter of John Gano, of Norton, Hunt- 
erdon County. He was a successful farmer, and 



;88 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Carhart had 
four sons living, viz. : John B. , Arthur I. and 
Oliver A. , twins, and Leon. Another infant son 
was claimed by death, and also the only little 
girl. Mary D., who died when in her twelfth 
year. The parents are members of the Methodist 
Church of Lebanon, are active in Sunday-school 
and Christian Endeavor work and are liberal con- 
tributors to the general funds of these depart- 
ments. Mr. Carhart is a member of the official 
board of the congregation, and has been president 
of the Endeavor Society. 



(7JANFORD R. TOMSON, numbered among 
C\ the prosperous and practical agriculturists of 
\~J Union Township, Hunterdon County, is 
the sterling citizen whose name stands at the be- 
ginning of this memoir. He has devoted his life 
to agriculture, and is a man of wide experience 
in everything pertaining to the management of a 
farm. From boyhood he has enjoyed the free out- 
door life of the countryman, the independence 
that is the heritage of the tiller of the soil, in a 
much greater degree than of any other class. 

A son of E. Tomson, proprietor of the Clinton 
Hotel, our subject was born in Warren County, 
N. J., January 27, 1859, and spent his boyhood 
and youth in his native state. He was given the 
advantages of a public-school education, becom- 
ing well informed on the more practical branches 
of knowledge. When he was eighteen he con- 
cluded that he would try his fortunes in the west, 
which held out flattering inducements to the 
young man starting out upon a business career. 
Going to Des Moines Count)', Iowa, he was there 
engaged in farming for a period of three years, 
after which he removed to Henry County. 
Buying eighty acres near the county-seat, 
Mount Pleasant, he devoted himself to the 
cultivation and improvement of- the place until 
1894, when he sold it and returned to his old 



home. He became the owner of what was known 
as the Capt. Samuel Bonnell farm, a tract of two 
hundred and four acres, and has since given his 
attention to the raising of the crops commonly 
grown in this region. He makes a specialty of 
raising thoroughbred Poland-China hogs, and 
keeps a large number. By industrious applica- 
tion and unwearying effort he has acquired a com- 
petence before reaching middle life, and is justly 
entitled to the high position of respect in which 
he is held by his associates and neighbors. He 
has never aspired to public office, and merely does 
his duty as a voter, giving his ballot to the 
nominees of the Republican party. 

While making his home in Iowa Mr. Tomson 
met the lady whom he subsequently married, 
January 19, 1SS1. She was formerly Alveretta 
Stivers, daughter of John and Sarah (Vander- 
mark) Stivers. A native of Illinois, she was 
born in Lawrence County, and lived there until 
she was about thirteen years of age, when she 
went to the home of her grandfather Vandermark, 
in Des Moines County, Iowa, there attaining 
maturity. Both Mr. and Mrs. Tomson are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 
Clinton, and for three years the former has been 
a trustee of the congregation. He is interested 
in whatever makes for the advancement and sub- 
stantial progress of the community in which he 
dwells, and is a true patriot, giving his influence 
to righteousness. In the family of himself and 
wife there are five bright, promising children, 
viz.: Annie, Emanuel (named for his paternal 
grandfather), Ora Alice, Bessie and Lester. 



cJEORGE N. CLARK was born upon the old 

_ homestead in Clinton Township, Hunterdon 

J County, which he now owns and operates. 

He is thoroughly known in this neighborhood, 

and to his praise be it said, that no citizen of the 

community is more highly esteemed. He posses- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



39i 



ses the enthusiasm and energy of early manhood, 
and at the same time is practical and far-seeing to 
a marked degree. In the advancement of the best 
interests of this locality he ever strives to do his 
.full share, and any measure worthy of the public 
support is certain to receive his influence and 
ballot. 

The Clark family to which our subject belongs 
is an old and honored one in Connecticut. His 
grandfather, Samuel J., was born in that state 
and is still living, though well along in years, 
his home being in Germantown, Hunterdon 
County, N. J. The parents of George N. Clark 
are George and Annie (Dane) Clark, natives of 
New Jersey. (See their sketch, which appears 
elsewhere in this volume. ) 

As previously mentioned our subject is a native 
of this township, the date of his birth being May 
22, 187 1. After receiving an elementary educa- 
tion in the district schools of the neighborhood 
he finished his higher education in the classical 
school in Somerville, N. J., then pursuing a busi- 
ness course in Stewart's Commercial College, of 
Trenton, N. J. From boyhood he had been ac- 
customed to aid in the manifold duties of farm 
management with his father. On completing his 
education he returned to agricultural pursuits, 
which he enjoyed much more than city or town 
life. He remained on the home farm until the 
spring of 1895, when he took possession of the 
Ramsey homestead formerly owned by his great- 
grandmother Rarnse3\ There are one hundred 
and ten acres in the place, which is finely adapted 
to general farming purposes. Mr. Clark makes a 
specialty of dairying, keeps about twenty-five 
cows, and makes a comfortable' income from this., 
source alone. A creamery, founded and con- 
ducted by his father, is situated near, in fact, be- 
ing located upon apart of the farm. The matter 
of peach growing is a favorite hobby with him, 
for he owns a fine orchard of twenty-five acres of 
trees. 

October 12, 1893, Mr. Clark married Susie, 
daughter of David C. and Anna (LaRue) Sharp, 
who died January 14, 1895. December 23, 1897, 
he married his second wife, Margaret, daughter 



of Joseph and Susan (Johnson) Ramsey, of Ham- 
den. They are members of the Reformed Church 
of Lebanon. For two years he has been the treas- 
urer of the society of Christian Endeavor, and he 
is also identified in Sunday-school work. He is 
connected with the order of Odd Fellows, being a 
member of Vesper Lodge No. 239, of Lebanon, 
and in his political relations he is affiliated with 
the Democratic party. Gifted by nature and 
training with excellent business qualifications, 
Mr. Clark is steadily advancing along the high- 
way leading to success; and, judging by what he 
has already accomplished, it is safe to predict for 
him a bright and promising future. 



UTHER HOFFMAN is the proprietor of the 
C Lebanon Stock Farm, situated in Clinton 
~) Township, Hunterdon County. This place 
is the old family homestead, where he was born, 
reared to manhood and has spent his whole life. 
He has had a very active, successful career, re- 
plete with prosperous business ventures and invest- 
ments. He has been particularly judicious, far- 
seeing and energetic in the management of his 
affairs and his public spirit has redounded to the 
benefit of the people of this neighborhood in large 
measure. 

Grandfather Henry Hoffman was a Hollander 
by birth and was a settler in this county in the 
latter part of the eighteenth century. His son, 
William H., father of our subject, was born here 
in 1800, and in 1822 he married Anna Van Fleet. 
Soon afterwards he bought the property now owned 
by his son Luther. He started without means and 
by the help of his faithful wife accumulated a 
goodly estate. He was very-industrious and am- 
bitious, and when death put an end to his labors 
he was the owner of about five hundred acres of 
well-improved land. He was a member of the 
Reformed Church in his last years, and contrib- 
uted liberally to benevolences. He died January 



39- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



3, 1863, at the old home, where his wife continued 
to dwell until she, too, received the summons, 
October 4, 1884. A brother of his was the well- 
known Judge Jacob H. Hoffman, who for many 
years served as judge of the court of common 
pleas and was a prominent figure in the eyes of 
the public. 

Luther Hoffman was born November 1, 1839, 
and is the only surviving son born to his parents, 
the others, Henry and John, being deceased. A 
sister, Elizabeth, is the widow of George P. 
Young, of Lebanon; Mary A. is the wife of Abra- 
ham B. Van Fleet, of Somerset County; Cather- 
ine is the widow of Ross J. Shurts; and Jane is 
the wife of John H. Krymer, of Plainfield, N. J. 
In his boyhood our subject received an ordinary 
education and with his father he learned the de- 
tails of farming, in time succeeding to the man- 
agement of the homestead. 

December 11, 1861, Mr. Hoffman married Em- 
ma, daughter of William G. Alpaugh. She was 
born in the town of Clinton in 1841, and both 
her parents were likewise natives of this county. 
After their marriage the young couple settled 
down upon the farm here, and have since been 
interested in dairying, as well as in general agri- 
culture. About 1875 Mr. Hoffman built a cream- 
ery and engaged in buying, selling and shipping 
milk in large quantities. He was among the first 
in this vicinity to recognize the merits of this line 
of enterprise, and in 1881 he, in company with 
George Clark (elsewhere spoken of in this work) 
organized a company and started a creamery in 
Middle Valley, N. J. The milk gathered in that 
locality was the first shipped over the High Bridge 
branch of the New Jersey Central Railroad. Mr. 
Clark is still in partnership with him in the sale 
of creamery products and brewers' grains, in 
which they do a profitable business. 

Perhaps more than any other man in this neigh- 
borhood, Mr. Hoffman has advanced the grade of 
the stock raised. In 1890 he brought here a car- 
load of Clydesdale horses, among them the famous 
prize-winner, Drumskeoch, No. 6696, registered. 
Years ago he started in the enterprise of raising 
road horses and always keeps a few fine animals 



on his farm. Of late years he has devoted a large 
part of his time to the raising of Jersey stock and 
road horses, his enterprise in this direction easily 
placing him among the leaders in these industries 
in his section. About 1880 he also became inter- 
ested in the breeding of Poland-China hogs, and 
now owns a number of recorded swine of this va- 
riety. In conjunction with his numerous other 
business ventures he raises fine peaches; has over 
three thousand trees, and all of the most select 
kinds. 

Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are both active and val- 
ued members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Lebanon. He joined the denomination when 
he was a young man of twenty years, and was 
one of the prime movers in the building of the 
Lebanon Church and is a charter member of the 
congregation. Since then he has been an officer 
in the church and for years was superintendent of 
the Sunday-school. In politics he is a Republi- 
can; has been an active worker for the cause, and 
with the exception of the few years that he held 
the position of committeeman he has never occu- 
pied any public place. The only child of Mr. and 
Mrs. Hoffman was Jennie W. , who was born Oc- 
tober 23, 1873, and died September 24, 1887. 
She was of a very sweet and lovable disposition 
and her presence was like a ray of sunshine in 
her home. 



61 LPHEUS C. YOUNG is a successful farmer 
LA of Readington Township, Hunterdon County, 
/ I and though past threescore and ten years 
is still hale and hearty and active in mind and 
body. He has always resided in this county, and 
was born within its boundaries in the year 1826. 
His family have long been numbered among the 
leading people of this portion of New Jerse}-, and 
have been noted for characteristics of industry, 
uprightness and genuine worth. 

The parents of our subject were natives of 
Hunterdon County and lived upon a farm. The 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



393 



father, John R. Young, was a man of influence 
and was held in great respect in his own com- 
munity, frequently being called upon to hold 
local offices. To himself and wife, Elizabeth 
(Hill) Young, there were born nine children, and 
but two of the number survive. Newton K. , the 
only living brother of our subject, makes his home 
in Pennington, N. J. 

A. C. Young is a man of good education and 
general attainments. He was a pupil in the 
district schools, and was not content with such 
learning as was to be gained under the old style 
system of training, but aided thereto by private 
study and reading. In 1849 he married Ellen A. 
Phillips, who was born in Somerset County, N. 
J., and the only child of this union was William 
H, now in Mexico. The mother died June 13, 
1S80, at the age of fifty-eight years. 

In December, 1882, Mr. Young married 
Elizabeth V. Phillips, a sister of his first wife, 
but death claimed her December 16, 1S85, when 
she was in her fifty-fifth year. December 4, 
1886, our subject married the lady who now bears 
his name. She was formerly Margaret C. (Skull) 
Breece, is of English ancestry, and a native of 
Atlantic County, N. J. She is a member of the 
Reformed Church of White House Station, Hunt- 
erdon County. 

From 1869 to 1876 Mr. Young was engaged in 
the commission business in New York City with 
fair success. Afterwards he devoted himself ex- 
clusively to farming for several years, and then 
became interested in dealing in fertilizers, in con- 
nection with his other enterprises. In his polit- 
ical relations he is a Democrat. 



-f— » »>*3®1§§I®<*<>- 



(SYLVESTER VANSYCLE, M. D., has been 
7\ actively engaged in practice in Clinton, 
\Z/ Hunterdon County, for over forty-five years 
and long since took a place among the rep- 
resentative physicians of western New Jersey. 



In every possible manner he has shown his inter- 
est in local progress, has aided by his means and 
influence worthy industries and institutions. 
Among other concerns in which he has money 
invested was the Clinton Bank, of which he was 
a director for some years. 

A native of Union Township, this county, the 
doctor was born in 1826, his parents having been 
Aaron and Mary (Bird) Vansycle. They were 
both likewise of this county, and spent their lives 
here. Aaron Vansycle was a merchant and 
speculator in land, and was quite successful in 
his many ventures. He was affiliated with the 
Democratic party, and was never prevailed upon 
to occupy positions of public honor and trust. 
His father, whose Christian name was also Aaron, 
was the second sheriff of this county, his term ex- 
tending from 1803 to 1806. The doctor's father, 
who was loved and respected by all who knew 
him, died January 4, 1852. His estimable wife 
departed this life in 1861. 

Our subject received a good education in the 
neighborhood schools, later was enrolled as a 
pupil in the Easton (Pa.) schools and entered 
Princeton College in 1843. Having completed 
the full course by the time that he was at his 
majority, he began the study of medicine, and 
graduated from the medical department of the 
New York University. Then for three years he 
was a student under the celebrated Dr. Valentine 
Mott. Two years were next devoted by him to 
actual work in the Bellevue Hospital, after which 
he was employed in the quarantine hospital for 
a year. In July, 1851, he located in Clinton, 
where he soon built up an excellent practice. 
Like his father before him, he has always given 
his vote to the nominees of the Democratic party, 
and has not been an aspirant for official distinc- 
tion. His life has been a very busy and useful 
one, and never has he neglected the suffering 
ones who appealed to him for assistance, no 
matter how poor and unable to render him com- 
pensation they might be. 

The partner of the doctor's joys and sorrows 
was formerly Miss Mary Carhart, who was a 
daughter of John and Mary Carhart, the father a 



394 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



native of the Old Dominion. The marriage of the 
doctor was celebrated March 24, 1853. Of the 
six children who blessed this union three are still 
living. John C. is a prominent merchant of 
Macon, Ga. ; William is a resident of Clinton, and 
Laniar is engaged in merchandising in New York 
City. Our subject and wife are members of the 
Presbyterian Church. 



^JEORGE W. SNYDER, a prominent and in- 
— fluential citizen of Quakertown, Hunterdon 
^_J County, has been very active in his support 
of the Democratic party and is a recognized 
leader in its ranks in this section. Upon several 
occasions his name has been brought forward by 
his multitude of warm friends for public posi- 
tions of trust and honor, and when elected in 
due course of time he has invariably given com- 
plete satisfaction to all concerned in the matter, 
and not alone to those of his own political opin- 
ions, but to those of the opposition as well. He 
was elected town clerk and served as such with 
ability for three years. Eater he was assessor 
for a period of seven years, discharging his duties 
with promptness, fidelity and justice. 

The birth of George W. Snyder occurred near 
Frenchtown, Hunterdon County, December 31, 
1856, on the farm owned and carried on by his 
father, David Snyder, who was a much-respected 
citizen of that locality. The mother of our sub- 
ject was a Miss Ruth Rittenhouse in her girlhood, 
and her ancestry is traced back to some of the 
founders of this county, with the history of 
which they have ever since been distinctively 
connected. The boyhood, youth and early man- 
hood of George W. were spent upon farms in 
Franklin Township, in the vicinity of his birth- 
place. As the years rolled by he became con- 
vinced that agriculture was not his forte, or rather 
that he should not choose that means of making 
his livelihood altogether. In 18S6, when he was 



entering upon the third decade of his career, he 
left home and went to New York, where he soon 
found employment as a salesman for the firm of 
George Furman & Co., commission merchants. 
He has continued with this house ever since, and 
has won golden opinions from his superiors by 
his strict attention to their interests. He makes 
his home and headquarters in Quakertown. 
Socially he is a member of the Odd Fellows' 
order, belonging to Eopatcong Lodge No. 114, 
of Quakertown. 

The marriage of Mr. Snyder and Miss Ella 
Hiner, daughter of William 0. Hiner, of Allen- 
town, was solemnized July 1, 1886. They have 
one little daughter, Ethel, the sunlight of their 
pretty and hospitable home. Mrs. Snyder and 
Ethel attend the Methodist Church of this place. 



T" DWARD HARMER is a valued employe of 
V) the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Since 
__ 1862 he has been an engineer, his run being 
from Hackensack to Jersey City, and for the past 
thirty-seven years has followed engineering. A 
native of New Jersey, his birth occurred in New 
Brunswick, November 28, 1828. He stands well 
in the Masonic and Odd Fellows' fraternities, and 
is very popular among the railroad men. He 
gives his political allegiance to the Republican 
party, is a patriotic American, and is to be com- 
mended for the loyal manner in which he meets 
every duty imposed upon him as a citizen of this 
great commonwealth. 

On the 5 th of April, 1891, the marriage of Ed- 
ward Harmer and Mrs. Clara M. Tetlow was sol- 
emnized. At the time she was the widow of John 
Tetlow, who was born in Philadelphia and de- 
parted this life in 1884, at the age of sixty years. 
He was a member of the Odd Fellows' order and 
always voted the Republican ticket. Religiously 
he was a Baptist and very active in church and 
benevolent work. In all his dealings with his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



395 



fellow-men he was above reproach, and merited 
the esteem of his associates, which was freely ac- 
corded him. To the marriage of John Tetlow 
and his wife, Clara, one child, a son, was born. 
He bears the name of William W. Tetlow, and is 
a bright, promising young man of nineteen. He 
makes his home with his mother and between 
them exists a bond of such love and perfect sym- 
pathy as is rarely seen but is none the less 
beautiful. 

Mrs. Clara M. Harmer was born in Germany, 
July 22, 1848. She is a daughter of Julius and 
Florentine (Schmidt) Kline, both natives of the 
Fatherland. Of their nine children but two are 
now living, Julius and Clara. When she was a 
year old Mrs. Harmer was brought to America by 
her parents, who located in the city of New York. 
The father was a cabinetmaker by trade, and was 
an expert workman in his line. The education of 
his children was obtained largely in the public 
schools of Jersey City, and when she was twenty- 
four years old Mrs. Harmer married for the first 
time. She is a lady of excellent education and 
general attainments. She is a member of the 
Reformed Church, to which denomination her 
parents belonged. 



EHARLES F. FELMLY, an enterprising 
young business man, is proprietor of a large 
livery stable and carriage repository in 
Flemington. In local politics, as well as in com- 
mercial circles, he is quite an important factor. 
In the spring of 1894, when living in Raritan 
Township, he was elected a freeholder, and re- 
ceived a majority of about fifty votes, although he 
is a Republican, and the township usually goes 
one hundred Democratic. In the spring of 1897 
he was elected to serve as one of the trustees of 
Flemington for a term of three years. 

The grandparents of the above, Charles and Eliza 
(Fox) Felmly, were natives of Hunterdon County, 



born near High Bridge. Moses Felmly, father of 
our subject, was born in this county in Septem- 
ber, 1826, and from the time that he was fifteen 
years old has been engaged in the blacksmith's 
trade, though of late years he has also farmed to 
some extent. He was in business in one place 
for fifty-five years. In November, 1845, he mar- 
ried Amy A., daughter of Charles Fox, of High 
Bridge, N. J. Of the ten children born to them 
eight are living: Elizabeth, wife of W. B. Wood- 
ruff, of Phillipsburg, N. J. ; Oliver H. , of the firm 
of Flemer & Felmly, of Springfield, N. J.; Char- 
lotte, widow of J. S. Lake, whose home is near 
Lake Hopatcong; Mary, wife of George A. Al- 
paugh, 'a farmer of Lebanon, N. J.; Charles F. ; 
Ella, at home; Minnie, wife of George Lewis, of 
Roseville, N. J. ; and John, who is employed by 
his eldest brother. 

Charles F. Felmly was born in the town of Leb- 
anon, N. J., January 13, 185S, and assisted on 
the old farm while attending the public schools of 
that neighborhood. His studies were completed 
in a private school, and in 1879 he commenced 
working for his brother, selling nursery stock. 
He was thus occupied during a period of eight 
years, but in 1882 he located in Asbury Park, and 
in the summer season conducted a livery busi- 
ness and also ran a milk route. In 1887 he went 
to Clinton and embarked in the livery business, 
and, January 7, 1891, he came to Flemington, 
where he has succeeded in building up a very large 
and remunerative trade. He has a fine stable, 
keeps a good line of carriage horses, and, on ac- 
count of the demands of the business, in January, 
1898, he built a two-story carriage repository, 
capable of accommodating one hundred vehicles. 
His sales for 1897 figured up about one hundred 
and fifty vehicles. This was the more remark- 
able as the bicycle craze seemed to paralyze the 
carriage business in most other cities and towns, 
where there is but little demand for anything 
running on more than two wheels. 

Mr. Felmly is a member of Stewart Lodge No. 
134, F. &A. M. , and is also identified with the 
Royal Arcanum. He is a member of the Flem- 
ington volunteer fire department. His wife is a 



396 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



member of the Presbyterian Church and to its sup- 
port he is a liberal contributor. November 16, 
1887, he married Minnie, daughter of Michael 
Banghart, of Glen Gardner. She is finely educa- 
ted, and prior to her marriage was successfully- 
engaged in teaching in this count}'. Mr. and Mrs. 
Felmly have two sons, Charles F. , Jr. , and Lloyd. 



ROBERT H. KENNEDY was born and has 
always dwelt on his father's old homestead, 
which is situated near the boundary line be- 
tween Warren and Hunterdon Counties, it being, 
however, within the limits of the first-mentioned 
county. He has always been noted for his liber- 
ality and public spirit, his earnest support of the 
educational cause, law and order and everything 
pertaining to good citizenship. He is a man of 
excellent business ability and settled his father's 
large estate in a manner which reflected great 
credit upon him. For several years he has been 
devoted to general agriculture, fruit-growing, etc. , 
and is very practical and successful in his various 
undertakings. 

The ancestral history of the above is of more 
than usual interest, as he comes from a very old 
and honored family of Scotland, later of Ireland, 
whither some of them fled on account of religious 
persecution, as they were of the Catholic faith. 
However they were early represented in the Re- 
formed or Protestant Church, and in 1538 one 
Alexander Kennedy, of Ayr, a finely educated 
young man of eighteen years, was burned at the 
stake in Glasgow for having written a poetical 
satire against the Franciscan friars. Jane Ken- 
nedy and Mistress Curie were the two maids of 
honor who were permitted to attend the ill-fated 
Mary Queen of Scots to the scaffold, February 
7, 1587. Previously Gilbert Kennedy, sixth earl 
of Cassilis, was one of the embassadors sent to 
France to arrange for the marriage of Mary to 
the dauphin. James Kennedy, who lived in the 



sixteenth century, was archbishop of St. Andrews. 
His mother was a descendant of King David II. 
of Scotland. The archbishop is said to have been 
one of the most powerful and influential statesmen 
in Scotland in his day, and through his interven- 
tion Henry of England after his misfortune was 
received and protected by Scotland. 

William Kennedy, great-great-grandfather of 
our subject, was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 
1695, was married there and in 1730, accompan- 
ied by his brother Robert, sailed for America. 
They located in Bucks County, Pa., and there 
Robert died, leaving no children to perpetuate his 
branch. Thus William was the founder of this 
line of the family in the United States. He owned 
large tracts of land which he leased out in small 
farms. His original home is owned by his great- 
granddaughter, Miss Emma Kennedy, of Brook- 
lyn, N. Y. His wife bore the maiden name of 
Mary Henderson. Their son Robert, the great- 
grandfather of our subject, married Elizabeth 
Heurie and removed to New Jersey, settling on 
Pohatcong Creek, in Greenwich Township, then 
Sussex, now Warren Count}'. He became con- 
cerned in the erection of mills, buying sites, put- 
ting up mills and then leasing the same. At one 
time he controlled all the mills from Kuowlton to 
Flemingtou. During the war of the Revolution 
he was a zealous patriot, furnishing flour and 
supplies to the continental troops. He was bri- 
gade wagon- master in charge of from eighteen to 
twenty-four teams. In the archives of the New 
Jersey Historical Society is the record of a mili- 
tary order directing Capt. Arthur Henrie to take 
a squad of men and convoy Kennedy's brigade of 
teams from the forks of the Delaware to the camp 
at Morristown. He was born near Tunicum, 
Bucks County, March 28, 1733, and died April 
12, 1813, and buried in Greenwich Cemetery. 

Robert H. Kennedy, grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was born at Burnt Mills, Warren County, 
August 12, 17S7. On arriving at man's estate 
he married Miriam, youngest daughter of John 
Key. He was the executor of his wealthy father's 
property and satisfactorily settled the same, it 
comprising over three thousand acres of land, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



397 



slate quarries, mills, etc. No man in his locality 
was more looked up to and admired than he, and 
besides filling even - official position in his own 
neighborhood he was chosen to fill higher offices 
and was four terms in the state legislature. He 
was appointed an aide of Governor Pennington 
and was chosen as a delegate to the national con- 
vention of about 1835. He died January 29, 1859, 
and was interred in the Greenwich Cemetery. 

The father of our subject was Henry Robert, 
born at the old homestead at Burnt Mills, June 
10, 1815, and of a family of ten children he was 
the only one who lived to maturity. He finished 
his education in New Brunswick and proceeded 
to follow in the footsteps of his father, attending 
to his farms and mill property interests. At the 
time of his death, March 26, 1884, he was the 
owner of over one thousand acres of land. He 
was influential in many ways, lending his support 
to all worthy enterprises. He was one of the or- 
ganizers of the Bloomsbury National Bank, was 
made its first president and acted as such till death 
put an end to his labors. He was also a manager 
of the State Asylum in Trenton, N. J., and was a 
member of the Historical Society of New Jersey. 
Politically he was a Democrat of the Jacksonian 
school, and was for three terms a member of the 
state legislature. He was an active and official 
member of the Presbyterian Church of Blooms- 
bury, being an elder in the same for a great many 
years. He was survived by his wife, who was 
formerly Elizabeth Frelinghuysen, daughter of 
Gen. John Frelinghuysen. She died on the 27th 
of January, 1891, and was placed to rest by the 
side of her husband in the Presbyterian Church- 
yard in Bloomsbury. Their children were: John 
Frelinghuysen, who is on the old homestead; 
Miriam K., deceased; Robert H.; Theodore F., 
who owns a portion of the family estate; Beulah 
E. , deceased wife of Theodore Hance; and Lou- 
isa, who died unmarried. 

The gentleman whose name stands at the be- 
ginning of this biography, Robert H. Kennedy, 
was named for his grandfather. He was born 
May 12, 1843, on the farm where he is still living. 
He has always given his attention to agricultural 



pursuits, and for some years was occupied in wind- 
ing up his father's estate. He lives quietly in his 
pleasant home, where he is surrounded with evi- 
dences of a refined taste. He is liberal in his po- 
litical view, choosing to reserve the right to vote 
for whom he thinks most suitable for a given posi- 
tion without being tied to a party. He is a mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian Church of Greenwich. 
He and his father were among the organizers of 
Bethlehem Lodge No. 152, F. & A. M., of 
Bloomsbury, and were charter members of the 
same. The lodge was originally named Kennedy 
Lodge in honor of the father. 

September 8, 1864, Mr. Kennedy married Ara- 
bella, daughter of Charles E. Williamson, of Hun- 
terdon Count}-, and to their union four children 
were born: Miriam Kay, wife of Lewis Fox, a 
stock-dealer of Asbury; Elizabeth La Grange, at 
home; Charles E. W. , in business in New York 
City; and Henry R., who died in childhood. 
Mrs. Kennedy departed this life May 13, 1871. 
December 7, 1874, Mr. Kennedy married Rachel, 
daughter of Judge Abraham Warne, of Broadway, 
Warren County, well known in that county as an 
able and brilliant representative of the bench. 
The only child of this marriage is Frederick Fre- 
linghuysen, who is now in his senior year in La- 
fayette College and intends to soon enter the 
law school in New York City. 



**vni§! 



SS+C-I t-K- 



WILLIAM J. ILIFF is the owner and mana- 
ger of the Junction Hotel, in Junction, 
Hunterdon Count}'. This was formerly 
known as the National Hotel, and after Mr. Iliff 
had entered into negotiations for the property in 
1890, and before he had actually taken possession 
of it, the old building was destroyed by fire. 
This was a severe loss to him, but he rallied man- 
fully, put up a modern structure in place of the 
old one, and proceeded as though nothing had 
happened. He has succeeded even beyond his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



expectations, and commands a large share of the 
patronage of the public who are traveling through 
this locality. 

The grandfather of our subject was William 
Iliff, who was born in Nottingham, England, 
and came to America when the father of William 
J. was a lad of fifteen years. He was a tailor by 
trade, and at first located in Philadelphia, mov- 
ing thence to Flemington. In 1824 William 
Iliff, Jr., married Elizabeth, daughter of David 
Kinney, of Readington Township, and, with the 
exception of a few years spent in Sussex County, 
the remainder of his life was passed in New Ger- 
mantown. He was a justice of the peace for 
many years, and was a lo'cal preacher in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. To himself and 
wife were born the following children: David K., 
who lived in Aurora, 111., served as justice of 
the peace and constable, and is now deceased; 
William J., of this sketch; Philip M., deceased; 
Charles F. , a carriage manufacturer of Savannah, 
Mo. , who was massacred by the Indians when on 
a business trip in the southern part of Nebraska 
on the Platte River; George, formerly of LaFay- 
ette, Ind. , and who lost his life as the result of 
wounds received at the battle of Missionary Ridge, 
dying in the hospital in Chattanooga; Esther, 
wife of John Tiger, of New Germantown; and 
Daniel K., whose home is in the state of Wash- 
ington. The second wife of William Iliff was 
Rachel Smith, of Andover Furnace. By their 
union there was one daughter, Mary E., who 
married Isaac Rowe, a farmer of the neighbor- 
hood of Chester, N. J. The father departed this 
life in 1877. 

William J. Iliff was born October S, 1S28, in 
New Germantown, and received an ordinary 
school education. During his last year in school 
he took up surveying, which he afterwards com- 
pleted. When he was eighteen he began serving 
an apprenticeship to the carriage-maker's trade 
in his native town, under the supervision of 
James Bunn, with whom he remained three years. 
He then followed this trade for several years in 
Hackettstown, Plainfield and other towns in the 
state. In i860 he became a clerk in the store of 



Phiueas K. Apgar, of Cokesbury, this county, 
and was in his employ about two years. In the 
meanwhile he had surveyed at intervals, and 
when living in Cokesbury he was elected on the 
Democratic ticket to the legislature, and was re- 
elected the two succeeding terms, serving for 
three } T ears. At the expiration of this period he 
was appointed deputy warden of the state peni- 
tentiary at Trenton, and acted as such for a year, 
after which he was for a like duration of time in 
the car works of that city. In 1870 he removed 
to High Bridge, and was engaged in business 
there eight years, and was in turn constable, 
justice of the peace and coroner. 

In 1878 Mr. Iliff decided to try his fortunes in 
the west, and accordingly moved to Edwards 
County, Kas., where he took up a claim of land. 
After living upon it a year, he settled in Mc- 
Pherson, Kas., where he was to meet the great 
affliction of his life in the death of his beloved 
wife, she being called from his home December 9, 
1 88 1. He had married in July, 1862, Mary, 
daughter of Mahlon and Ann (Shurts) Johnson, 
and she had been a true friend, companion and 
helpmate. His children were married and he 
was left alone, so his thoughts turned backward 
to the friends and scenes of his 3 r outh and he de- 
cided to settle in his native state for his declining 
years. While he was in Kansas he was the first 
surveyor of Hodgman Count)-. In 1S89 he re- 
turned to New Germantown, thence went to 
Junction, and in 1890 bought the hotel which he 
has since carried on. He not only built a new 
structure complete, but all the furniture and fit- 
tings were also new a few years ago. Formerly 
he was very active in the Masonic order, but his 
frequent changes of residence have led to his 
dropping out of the ranks. He is past grand 
and chief patriarch of the encampment of Odd 
Fellows. In earlier years he was prominently 
connected with various social and fraternal asso- 
ciations, but now gives his whole time and atten- 
tion to his business affairs. He has three daugh- 
ters. Ida E. is the wife of Charles W. Dwelle, 
formerly of McPherson, Kas., but now living in 
Elizabeth, N. J., as he is postal clerk between 




JOSIAH KKTCHAM. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



401 



New York and Pittsburg; Alice K. is the wife of 
Henry Eicher, of Peoria, 111.; and Bessie is the 
wife of William Osborne, an engineer living in 
Harvey, 111. 



30SIAH KETCHAM, editor and publisher of 
the Belvidere Apollo, the leading Republican 
paper of the county of Warren, was born in 
Hope Township, this county, and is the son of 
the late Andrew and Jane (Vroom) Ketcham. 
Andrew Ketcham was a son of Josiah Ketcham, 
who descended from the Ketcham family that 
settled at Pennington, N. J. , early in the last 
century, having come to New Jersey from Long 
Island. Three brothers came to Long Island 
from England, and having lived there for a time, 
one remained, a brother moved to Pennsylvania 
and another to New Jersey, whence the subject 
of this sketch descended. The members of this 
branch of the family displayed the sturdy and 
solid cpialities which characterized their ancestors 
in England and Scotland. Mr. Ketcham 's grand- 
father, whose name he bears, was a surveyor and 
literary man. Andrew Ketcham, the father, was 
a man who possessed to a remarkable degree the 
sterling qualities of his ancestors, and was for 
nearly forty years an elder in the Presbyterian 
Church. For generations the family have been 
connected with the Presbyterian Church, and 
their political affiliations have been with the old 
Whig and Republican parties. 

Jane Vroom was a daughter of Samuel Vroom 
and Martha Peterson. The Vroom and Peterson 
families were prominent in the northern part of 
the state before the Revolution, and the grand- 
father of Martha Peterson was a member of the 
New Jersey legislature when the colony was 
subject to the mother county. Mrs. Ketcham 
was a woman of more than ordinary intellectual 
gifts. She had remarkable discernment, keen in- 
sight into human nature and rare literary appreci- 
ation. 



Josiah Ketcham was primarily educated in the 
district schools. Later he took the regular classi- 
cal course at Hackettstown, and subsequently 
carried on private studies under the preceptorship 
of Rev. Dr. Freeman. After having for a time 
engaged in teaching school, he took up literary 
work. 

Coming to Belvidere in 1871, he purchased the 
Belvidere Apollo, of which he has since been the 
editor and publisher. This has always been a 
stanch and conservative Republican paper, ever 
abreast of the times, and a pioneer in all things 
that promise to promote the welfare of the town 
and the prosperity of the people. Ever since its 
organization the county has been overwhelmingly 
Democratic. It is thus at once evident that it 
required herculanean efforts to build up and main- 
tain, in the interests of the minority party, such a 
journal as the Apollo has been. The early his- 
tory of the paper shows some of the struggles ex- 
perienced in the effort to maintain it, in spite of 
the fact that it numbered among its editors and 
publishers some of the brightest minds of the 
state. 

The paper was founded in 1824. Its founder 
and first editor was the late George G. Sickles, 
father of Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, and a man of 
marked intellectual ability. Among the other 
editors of note was Alexander C. Wilson, who 
resigned his connection with this paper in order 
to accept the position of managing editor of the 
New York Times, on the founding of the latter 
paper. The present editor has occupied the posi- 
tion many years longer than any of his prede- 
cessors. As an editor he brings to his task a 
mind well equipped by years of study, wide read- 
ing and experience, which has enabled him to 
build up a paper wielding a potential influence 
among all classes in Warren County. He is an 
easy, graceful and forceful writer, and his 
editorials are always terse and interesting. 

June 11, 1874, Mr. Ketcham married Miss 
Elizabeth, daughter of the late Joshua and Effie 
(Rooff) Hardin, of Sussex County, N. J. Four 
daughters were born to their union: Charlotte C, 
Eva H., Marie H. and Margaretta E. , to whose 



16 



4-02 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



education the most careful attention has been 
paid. The family is identified with the First 
Presbyterian Church of Belvidere, in which Mr. 
Ketcliam officiates as an elder. Twice he has rep- 
resented the Newton presbyter}' in the Presby- 
terian General Assembly of the United States. 
He has for years been an active worker in the 
Sunday-school and interested in advancing its 
usefulness. Politically he has from youth been 
identified with the Republican party and a leader 
in this part of the state. In recognition of his 
services in behalf of the party he was, in April, 
1898, appointed postmaster of Belvidere by Presi- 
dent McKinley. 



gEORGE B. SUTTON, an old and highly 
respected citizen of Fairmount, Hunterdon 
County, is living retired from the busy and 
arduous cares to which he devoted himself as- 
siduously during his vigorous manhood, and is 
enjoying the rest which he richly deserves. He 
lives in a pretty and comfortable home, which he 
erected in 1883 in the village. The competence 
which he has laid aside for old age and the prop- 
erty which represents years of labor on his part 
have not been easily acquired, but have been 
earned by honest industry and perseverance, and 
he is entitled to great credit for the manly way in 
which he has met every duty, however taxing, 
during his whole long life. 

Born March 15, 18 18, George B. is a son of 
Richard and Mary (Bunu) Sutton, and grandson 
of John and Elizabeth Sutton. His birthplace 
was the old homestead near this town, now in 
the possession of James Apgar. Richard Sutton 
was born July 10, 1790, and the old store build- 
ing which was afterwards occupied by his son and 
grandson, in turn, in the mercantile business, 
was erected by him in Fairmount in 1829 and is 
still standing. After it was completed he rented 
it for two years, and then took it himself and 



thenceforth devoted himself to carrying on a gen- 
eral store. To himself and wife, Mary, nine chil- 
dren were born, as follows: John, June 17, 18 10; 
David, October 10, 1811; Aaron, September 16, 
1 8 13; Andrew, October n, 18 15; George, March 
15, 181S; Julia Ann, June 24, 1820; Mary, June 
14, 1823; Martha, February 20, 1825; and Lem- 
uel, February 10, 1829. 

George B. Sutton followed agricultural pur- 
suits until he was about forty years of age, and 
made a good living for himself and family by buy- 
ing produce from farmers and others and selling 
it in the markets of Newark. About 1858 he en- 
tered into partnership with Conrad Apgar and 
together they carried on the store here for two 
years or more. From i860 until 1888 Mr. Sut- 
ton was in the enterprise alone, then selling out 
to his son Howard, who is now the proprietor of 
the store. He owns two valuable farms of about 
one hundred and forty acres each, and in addition 
to this has some town property. He rents his 
farm and derives a good income from this source. 
He has never been a politician, and has held few 
offices, and those only when requested to do so. 
He was township collector once for a term of 
three years. He is not identified with any re- 
ligious body, though he contributes liberally to 
the support of different churches. 

April 2, 1840, Mr. Sutton married Lydia Ann 
Hoffman, who was born April 2, 1820. They are 
both remarkably well preserved, are seemingly 
quite vigorous in mind and body, and bid fair to 
live many years to come. Another fact quite 
unusual is that of their large family of twelve 
sous and daughters not one has yet been sum- 
moned from the circle by the angel of death, and 
thus their whole number, fourteen, is unbroken. 
Melissa, born May 11, 1841, is the wife of Jacob 
Lutes; Paul, born November 1, 1S43, enlisted at 
the age of eighteen years in Company A, Thirty- 
first Regiment of New Jersey Infantry, and served 
until the expiration of his term; Silas W., born 
February 7, 1846, is a farmer in Missouri; Elmira, 
born February 24, 1848, is the wife of John 
Barkmau, a veteran of the late war, and now a 
farmer of German Valley; Stephen D., born July 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4°3 



17, 1850, is cultivating the old Sutton homestead 
owned by the family for three generations; Mary 
E., born November 5, 1852, is the wife of Philip 
Eick, and lives near Fairmount; Ebenezer H. 
is in Newark, N. J.; Harmon Hoffman, named 
for his maternal grandfather, born March 3, 1857, 
owns the old Hoffman farm, were his mother 
was brought up; Susan H., born December 13, 
1859, is the wife of William J. Moore, of Potters- 
ville; Howard is represented elsewhere in this 
volume; Ellis P., born February 2, 1864, is the 
proprietor of the Pottersville Hotel; Albert, born 
October 17, 1866, is in the livery business in Mis- 
souri. 



0UINTUS E. SNYDER, M. D., is one of the 
successful physicians now engaged in prac- 
tice in Hunterdon County. He is a man of 
large experience in his chosen profession, and 
keeps thoroughly in touch with all the modern 
methods and treatments of disease. He possesses 
the esteem and high regard of his medical breth- 
ren and enjoys a remunerative practice in Quaker- 
town and the surrounding country. 

Born in Northampton County, Pa., in 1842, 
the doctor is a son of Daniel Snyder, who was 
also a native of that county, and therein spent 
his whole life. He was a farmer and a very suc- 
cessful business man, owning large tracts of land, 
which he kept under fine cultivation. He was a 
member of the Lutheran Church and active in re- 
ligious enterprises. In his political faith he held 
to the principles of the Democracy. Death claimed 
him at the age laid down by the Psalmist as the 
usual time of man-kind — threescore and ten 
years. His father, John H. , was born and lived 
in Northampton County, and was also a tiller of 
the soil. The Snyder family originated in Ger- 
many, but several generations have resided in 
this portion of the United States, and have been 
remarkable for traits of thrift, industry and hon- 
esty. The mother of our subject was a Miss 



Anna Kachliue in her girlhood, and by her mar- 
riage with Daniel Snyder she became the mother 
of eight children, only four of whom survive: 
Mary E., wife of George Noble; Stephen; Quintus 
E. and Susan C, wife of Charles D. Long. The 
faithful and devoted mother was summoned to 
her reward when she was in her seventieth year. 

Dr. Q. E. Snyder lived at home with his par- 
ents on the old farm in the Keystone state until he 
was about seventeen years old. He had made the 
best of his opportunities in the matter of gaining 
an education, and spent a short time at the Phil- 
lipsburg Academy, where he perfected himself in 
some of the higher branches. His first venture 
into the world of business was when he took a 
position as a clerk in the mercantile house of Ja- 
cob Hay, in Easton, Pa. He next went to Brook- 
lyn, N. Y., and found employment in the ship- 
yards on gun-boats. In 1863 he commenced 
teaching near Easton, and successfully conducted 
a school for two winters, in the meantime de- 
voting such spare hours as he could muster to 
medical studies, as he had determined to enter 
the profession. In 1865 he enlisted in Company 
H, Two Hundred and Fourteenth Pennsylvania 
Regiment, serving until the end of the war as as- 
sistant hospital steward, at Winchester and 
Washington. In 1866 he regularly began the 
study of medicine under the instruction of James 
Cavanaugh, M. D., of Easton, and ultimately 
graduated from the celebrated Bellevue Hospital 
Medical College, of New York City, in 1S6S. 

Upon settling himself in practice the doctor 
concluded to try his fortunes at South Bethlehem, 
Pa., and was located therefor about six years. 
In 1879 he went to Kansas, and remained in that 
state actively occupied in the discharge of the 
manifold duties of his healing art until six years 
more had elapsed. In 1S81 he returned to the 
east, and settled in Everittstown, N. J., and in 
1884 he came to Quakertown, where he has since 
made his home. 

June 22, 1S69, Dr. Snyder married Isabella, 
daughter of Peter Best, of Stockton, N. J., and 
four daughters have come to grace this union, 
viz. Ella May, Annie C, Valeria Jane and Min- 



4°4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



nie B. The doctor is a member of the Lutheran 
Church, in whose doctrines he was reared, but he 
is a regular attendant upon the services of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church of this place at the 
present time. Fraternally he is a Mason, and is 
a member of Dallas Lodge No. 396, F. & A. M., 
of Easton. 



HON. WILLIAM H. BAKER. Prominent 
among the citizens who have made the 
town of Clinton, Hunterdon County, what 
it is to-day, one of the thriving, energetic business 
places of this section, is the gentleman whose 
name stands at the beginning of this review. 
For a long series of years he has been actively 
concerned in the advancement and upbuilding of 
this town and has ranked high in the commercial, 
social, religious and political affairs of this com- 
munity. Under the present charter of Clinton 
he was the first town collector, serving as such 
for three years, was later elected clerk and acted 
in that capacity two terms, after which he was 
treasurer for a time. Subsequently he was again 
honored by being elected collector, serving in that 
capacity for four years, for years officiated on the 
board of health, at last being chosen its presi- 
dent. May 17, 1894, he was commissioned judge 
of the court of appeals by Governor Werts, his 
tenure of office to run until 1899, but owing to 
the abolishment of the position by the state law, 
he vacated the same in April, 1896. 

The father of the judge, Rev. J. James Baker, 
was born in England, and came to America with 
his parents when young, settling in this county. 
He entered the Baptist ministry, and labored 
faithfully in the Lord's vineyard for more than 
forty years. His life, which was a benediction 
and blessing to humanity, terminated November 
2, 1888. His loved wife, whose maiden name 
was Elizabeth L. Nicholson, did not long sur- 
vive him, as she died March 23, 1S92. They 
celebrated their golden wedding anniversary 



December 11, 1882, and the occasion will never 
be forgotten by those who were so fortunate as to 
be present. The touching and suitable words of 
the judge were impressive in the extreme, and 
his reverent tributes to the aged couple were 
echoed in the hearts of every auditor. Of the 
thirteen children born to the worthy pair, eight 
are yet living, and occupying good and useful 
places in the several communities in which they 
make their homes. 

The birth of William H. Baker occurred in 
Paoli, Chester County, Pa., September 5, 1838, 
and his elementary education was such as was 
afforded by the public schools of the day. Before 
he reached his majority he came to Clinton, and 
entered the drug store of his brother, Dr. B. N. 
Baker, as a clerk. In 1865 he became the sole 
owner of the business, which he has conducted 
ever since, and thus it will be seen that he is one 
of our pioneer business men. 

In 1865 Mr. Baker married Marj^ E. Brown, 
daughter of David and Orpha Brown, of Delhi, 
N. Y. Her death occurred in December, 18S4. 
Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Baker 
the eldest, Lillian, is the wife of A. L. Smith, of 
Clinton; and Grace and Elsie are at home with 
their father. A valued worker in the Presby- 
terian Church, the judge has served as president 
of the board of trustees, is treasurer of the church 
at present and for many years has been superin- 
tendent of the Sunday-school. He belongs to 
Stewart Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M., acted as 
worshipful master of the same from 1S79 to 1882, 
and is a member of the grand lodtre. 



»-- -•OO-^Qi ;•>£•.••- ~c- 



jALTER BRINTON has been superintend- 
ent of the steel department of the Taylor 
Iron and Steel Company of High Bridge 
since 1895 and had already made a creditable 
record with this concern, and was promoted on 
his genuine merits, His superiors find that their 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



405 



confidence has not been misplaced or over-esti- 
mated, for the young superintendent is thoroughly 
trustworthy and capable. He has been con- 
nected with iron-working and steel manufacture 
since his early years and is a practical man, un- 
derstanding at a glance what must be done, and 
possessing that generalship and power of com- 
manding men absolutely essential in order to meet 
the demands of such a responsible position as he 
holds. At the same time he is not only respected, 
but thoroughly liked by those who are under him, 
for he is one who is a general favorite wherever 
he goes. 

The Brinton family to which our subject be- 
longs has been well and favorably known in 
Pennsylvania since the sixteenth century. Born 
September 28, 1863, in Christiana, Lancaster 
County, Pa., Walter Brinton is one of the four 
children of Lewis and Mary (Bowk) Brinton. 
The father was born in the same vicinity as was 
his son Walter, but the mother was a native of 
Beaver, near Pittsburg. Their other children 
were: Rilla W. , deceased; Charles E.; and Dydia 
S., wife of Thomas Jopson, of Germantown, Pa. 
The family were of the faith of the Society of 
Friends. 

At the age of sixteen years Walter Brinton 
commenced serving an apprenticeship in the 
Christiana Machine Works, remaining with that 
corporation eight years. He then entered the 
employ of the Chester Rolling Mills, of Chester, 
Pa., and continued there until he removed to 
this place. In the meantime the plant was 
merged in that of the Wellman Iron and Steel 
Company. For two years Mr. Brinton was in 
the blast furnace department, after which he was 
employed in the Bessemer steel plant, and for 
some time prior to its closing down under the fi- 
nancial depression of 1893 he was in charge of 
that branch of the work. In 1894 he accepted a 
position as assistant superintendent of the steel 
manufacturing department of the Taylor Iron 
and Steel Works, and at the end of eighteen 
months was placed in full charge of the same. 

While living in Chester, Pa., Mr. Brinton 
married Elizabeth Brown Fwing, December 18, 



1890. Mrs. Brinton was born at Brandywine 
Hundred, Pa., her parents being John and Agnes 
(Brown) Ewing, both natives of Scotland. For 
years Mr. Ewing was connected with the textile 
mills of Bancroft, Pa., and later moved to Ches- 
ter, where he was employed in the yards of John 
B. Roach, the pioneer shipbuilder of the United 
States. Mr. and Mrs. Brinton have three, daugh- 
ters, Rilla C. and Agues E. (twins) and Helen 
Erskine. Mr. Brinton is a stanch Republican, 
taking an active interest in the success of the 
party principles and policy. The cause of educa- 
tion is one which appeals strongly to him, and 
since coming to High Bridge he has been direct- 
or of the school board. When a resident of 
Chester he officiated three years as secretary of 
the board of education, carrying out effective 
plans. He is a member of Rialto Dodge No. 161, 
I. O. O. F., of High Bridge. He was reared in 
the Quaker faith, and has never identified him- 
self with any religious body. 



m 



£J FORGE W. RACE! Identified with the 
_ farming interests of Hunterdon County 
^| throughout almost his entire active life, 
Mr. Race has gained a large acquaintance among 
the residents of the county and is especially 
prominent in Franklin Township, where he owns 
and operates a farm. He is a son of Halloway 
H. and Charlotta (Seabold) Race, further men- 
tion of whom, as well as of the Race family, may 
be found in the sketch of Dr. Henry Race, pre- 
sented elsewhere in this volume. 

In Franklin Township, where he was born in 
1S36, the boyhood days of the subject of this 
sketch were passed, his time being given to 
school duties, farm work and the usual sports of 
boyhood. Trained to agriculture, he naturally 
chose this as his life occupation and his sub- 
sequent success shows that he did not err in his 
choice. In early manhood, with a desire to see 



4-o6 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the west, he went to Ohio and Iowa, where he 
was employed on farms for a year. However, 
he did not consider those states as superior to 
New Jersey in farming facilities and opportun- 
ities, and he therefore returned to his native place, 
where he has since resided. During the late 
war he enlisted in Company D, Thirtieth New 
Jersey Infantry, in which he served for nine 
months and was then honorably discharged. 

On returning from the war Mr. Race made 
his home with a brother for some time, mean- 
while carrying on farm work. Forming a part- 
nership with his brother, Jacob S., they pur- 
chased the farm where they have since resided, 
engaging in the raising of cereals and stock. 
Our subject's attention has been given closely to 
his chosen occupation, and he has had little de- 
sire to mingle in public affairs. However, he 
keeps himself posted concerning politics, and al- 
ways votes the Democratic ticket. Fraternally 
he is connected with the local lodge of Odd Fel- 
lows, in which he has passed all of the chairs and 
is past grand. His family are Methodists and he 
himself favors the doctrines of that denomination, 
to which he contributes generously. February 2, 
1867, he was united in marriage with Susan 
Hibler, daughter of William and Ellen Hibler, 
and they are the parents of one child, a son, 
William H. 



BENEZER FRANCIS, foreman of the 
'e) foundry of the steel department of the Ta}'- 
_ lor Iron and Steel Works of High Bridge, 
Hunterdon Count}', is a man of wide experience 
in his chosen field of business, and thoroughly 
understands it to the smallest detail. From his 
boyhood he has given his whole time and atten- 
tion to a mastery of the trade, and being ener- 
getic and industrious he has risen by his own 
merits to a position of responsibility and trust. 
He enjo3 - s an enviable reputation for fidelity to 



duty, for punctuality, accuracy and in short, for 
all of the essential qualities of a first-class work- 
man and superintendent of others' work. 

The birth of our subject took place in Briton 
Ferry, Glamorganshire, Wales, April 21, 185S, 
his parents being Ebenezer and Mary Miriam 
(Tasker) Francis. The father was superintend- 
ent and a stockholder in an iron works in his 
native country, and later lived in Newport, 
Monmouthshire. There he followed the same 
occupation, and became financially concerned in 
the iron works there. When our subject was a 
lad of twelve years he accompanied his parents 
to America and settled at Harrisburg, Pa. The 
father was employed in a foundry there until 
shortly prior to his death, in February, 1893. Of 
his six living children, Edward returned to 
Wales, and is now superintendent of an iron 
foundry; Annie is the wife William Williams, 
chief engineer and draughtsman of the large 
works at Tredegar, Wales; Joseph and Francis, 
twins, are both in the same calling as is our sub- 
ject, though one is in Chester, Pa., and the 
other in Phcenixville, Pa.; and William is a 
draughtsman in Point Breeze Oil Works, Phila- 
delphia. 

Ebenezer Francis, of this sketch, served an ap- 
prenticeship to the molder's trade in the Weimar 
Iron Works at Lebanon, and, at the end of a 
year, upon his father's resigning his position with 
the companj' and removing to Harrisburg, the 
lad followed his example and worked as formerly 
for another year as a molder. The father then 
sent the young man back to Wales, where he 
could have better opportunities of completing the 
trade, and there he dwelt for seven years, always 
steadily continuing in his favorite pursuit. He 
was now but little past his majority, and upon 
his arrival once more in the New World he found 
employment in the Southwark Foundry and Ma- 
chine Company in Philadelphia as a molder. In 
a short time he went to Chester, and for four 
years was employed by Robert Wetherill & Co. , 
engine makers. Thence he went to the Standard 
Steel Casting Company, of Thurlow, Pa., now 
known as the American Steel Casting Company, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL. RECORD. 



407 



and at intervals, when the foreman was absent, 
on account of illness or other causes, he supplied 
his place and won experience. He next accepted 
a position as foreman of the steel casting depart- 
ment of the Pacific Rolling Mills Company, of 
San Francisco, and under his supervision the 
hulls and machinery castings of the first steel 
vessels ever constructed on the Pacific slope were 
made. Among the boats for which these cast- 
ings were furnished were the Charleston, San 
Francisco and Monterey. 

When this work was completed Mr. Francis 
returned to the east, and the following September 
took charge of the steel casting department of 
the Wellman Iron and Steel Company. The 
post he held until four years had rolled by, 
when the firm suspended operations and he be- 
came the foreman of the steel foundry of the 
Midvale Steel Company of Philadelphia. Two 
years more passed by and he found that stead}', 
confining work was beginning to tell seriously 
upon his health, and in consequence he took a 
long vacation. In August, 1897, he accepted 
the position which he is now occupying, but still 
has his home in Chester, Pa. He has under his 
direction about one hundred men. 

In February, 1SS9, Mr. Francis married Ame- 
lia, granddaughter of the late Samuel Archibald, 
of the firm of Reney, Son & Archibald, ship- 
builders, and connected with the United States 
navy. She is a daughter of George and Agnes 
Archibald, and by her marriage has become the 
mother of one son, Charles W. Mr. Francis was 
brought up in the Methodist Episcopal faith, 
but is not connected with the denomination. 
He is a member of the Knights of the Golden 
Eagle, and politically is a Republican. In com- 
mon with so many of his nationality Mr. Francis 
is a musician of no little talent and is, moreover, 
possessed of artistic tastes in another direction. 
As a recreation he has taken up photography, 
and in the midst of his busy life he has found 
time to make a study of it. He is abreast of the 
latest discoveries in this rapidly developing art, 
and produces many pictures that compare favor- 
ably with those of professionals. 



EHARLES A. RINEHART is the owner of a 
very desirable farm in Tewksbury Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County, and was born on 
this same homestead about forty- seven years ago. 
The farm comprises one hundred and forty acres 
of arable land, suited for the raising of grain 
and other crops common to this climate. The 
proprietor has been particularly successful in the 
growing of fruits of various kinds, and has a fine 
orchard containing ten thousand peach trees. He 
gives some attention to dairying, and is 
thoroughly practical and a good financier. He 
has had no time for politics beyond doing his 
duty as a citizen and voter, and his preference 
is for the platform and nominees of the Democ- 
racy. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
Martin Riuehart, who was a farmer of Morris 
Count}', and was identified with the Presbyterian 
Church in Fairmount. He married Mary Al- 
paugh, and their son, John, was born in Morris 
County, near the town of Fox Hill (now called 
Parker) March 5, 1807. In those early days he 
had but small opportunity to acquire an educa- 
tion, and was chiefly his own teacher. Novem- 
ber 4, 1830, he married Jane Moore, who was 
born April 2, 1S10, and was a daughter of George 
and Elizabeth Moore of this township. Ten sons 
and daughters were born to them, named as fol- 
lows: Martin, a farmer of Somerset County; 
Catherine, wife of H. C. Hoffman, whose farm is 
near that of our subject's; Mary Ann, wife of 
James G. Fisher, a retired farmer of Pottersville; 
George Moore, a farmer near Cokesbury; John 
and Joseph E., owning farms in the vicinity of 
Pottersville; David, a farmer near Lebanon; Will- 
iam, of New Germantown; Emma, wife of Peter 
Dane, residing near New Germantown; and 
Charles A. The father carried on the paternal 
homestead for a number of years after his mar- 
riage, and about 1850 bought the farm now 
owned by our subject. Here he continued to 
dwell until the death summons came to him, July 
11, 1893. He built the house 011 this place in 
1 85 1 and was quite successful in his varied busi- 
ness undertakings. Politically he was a Demo- 



408 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



crat, and religiously a Lutheran. He was very 
active in the work of the church in New German- 
town, and occupied many of the official positions 
in the congregation. 

Charles A. Rinehart was born November 28, 
185 1, and as he was the child of his father's old 
age, he was of great use to his senior as a youth, 
aiding him in the general farm work, and reliev- 
ing him of many of the burdens which were be- 
ginning to weigh upon" him. He continued to 
live with him until long after his marriage, and 
it was not until 1888 that he left the old roof-tree. 
At that time he bought a farm lying between 
New Germantown and Lamington, and carried 
this place on for about five years. When his 
father died in 1893 he sold his other property 
and purchased the old home where he was born 
and where the most of his life had been passed. 
January 26, 1876, he married Mary Angeline, 
daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Lindaberry) 
Apgar, the former a farmer of High Bridge 
Township, his home being near Cokesbury. To 
the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart five chil- 
dren have been born, viz. : John Emmett, who as- 
sists his father in the work of the farm; Jennie 
M., now attending school in Trenton; Florence, 
Ada and Blanche. 



DWARD HUMPHREY is the genial "mine 
V) host" of the Glen Gardner (Hunterdon 
_ . County) Hotel, one of the best conducted and 
most comfortable and inviting hotels in the county. 
He is quite a prominent figure in local politics, 
has occupied various public positions of responsi- 
bility and honor with credit to himself and to the 
satisfaction of his constituents. In 1888 he was 
elected collector or treasurer of Hunterdon 
County, and served acceptably in that capacity 
for four years, after which, in 1S96, he was re- 
elected for a term of three years, and is still dis- 
charging the duties of this important office. 



Edward Humphrey is a native of this county, 
his birth having occurred in Union Township, 
January 15, 1840. He is one of the six sons of 
Lewis and Elizabeth (Apgar) Humphrey, the 
others being: William, deceased, formerly a 
wholesale merchant in Philadelphia; Lambert, 
proprietor of the Union House in Flemington, 
N. J.; Randolph, deceased; Samuel, in the whole- 
sale business in the Quaker city; and JohnD., 
deceased. The father was born in 1809 in this 
county, and here also occurred the birth of his 
wife, the date of the event being 1806. They 
lived for the most part near the town of Norton, 
where Mr. Humphrey owned and carried on two 
farms. He also operated a sawmill, ran a dis- 
tillery for some years, and accumulated quite a 
comfortable fortune. 

During the boyhood of our subject, Edward 
Humphrey, he assisted his father in his various 
pursuits, and was a pupil in the district school. 
When he was twenty-four years of age he estab- 
lished a mercantile business in Norton, and at 
the close of two years he sold out and embarked 
in a new venture. He bought and sold woodland 
property and cut timber, which he disposed of 
to the railroad company. April 1, 186S, became 
to this town, and bought the Clarksville Hotel, 
as it was then called. He changed the title of 
the house, at once inaugurated man}- desirable 
improvements and changes and proceeded to 
build up the reputation of the place. The hotel 
is a modern, four-story building, the rooms be- 
ing light, pleasant and well furnished. Hot and 
cold water is in every part of the building" and 
man)' other conveniences are afforded the traveler, 
not usually to be found outside the larger towns 
and cities. With the exception of one 3'ear, 
1 88 1, when E. Tompson, now of Clinton, ran 
the hotel, our subject has personally supervised 
the business for thirty years, during which period 
he has won a multitude of friends, owing to his 
honorable methods and his cheerful, kindly man- 
ner. 

Until 1880 Mr. Humphrey voted the Republi- 
can ticket, but since that time he has given his 
support to the Democracy. He has been very 




SAMUEL STOCKTON. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



411 



active and energetic in political matters, and in 
1 88 1 was nominated on the Democratic ticket for 
the place of collector of the township, and was 
also endorsed by the Republicans. His election 
was, therefore, practically unanimous, there be- 
ing only a few scattering votes of opposition. 
Then, as previously related, he has efficiently 
served as county treasurer several years, having 
been twice elected. Over a score of years has 
he been connected with the National Bank of 
Clinton as a director, and in 1870, when the 
Clarksville Building and Loan Association was 
organized, he was chosen its treasurer and thence- 
forth acted as such as long as the company was 
in existence, it being successfully brought to a 
close in 1880. Fraternally he is a member of 
the Masonic order, belonging to Lebanon Lodge 
No. 6, F. & A. M., of Glen Gardner. 

June 1, 1865, Mr. Humphrey was united in 
marriage at the home of the bride, with Mercy 
M. Brittian, daughter of Henry V. Brittian, of 
Asbury. 



(7> AMUEL STOCKTON, a well-known citizen 
/\ and business man of Lambertville, Hunter- 
\~J don County, is a native of this place, he 
having been born March 28, 1844. He is a Re- 
publican, and voted first for Lincoln in 1864. He 
was made a notary public in 1889 by Governor 
Greene, and has served as trustee of schools. 
Ma}' 10, 1897, he was reappointed morgue keeper 
for the term of three years, and this is the third 
term that he has served consecutively, his first 
appointment being in 1891. 

The parents of our subject were Lieut. Samuel 
S. and Eliza A. (White) Stockton. The father 
was born in New Hope, Bucks County, Pa., 
June 22, 1822, and the mother was a native of 
Ithaca, N. Y., born about 181 1. In 1844 the 
lieutenant started in the undertaking business in 
Lambertville, and followed it until the war broke 
out, when he left his brother Edward C. in charge 



of his affairs and went forth to fight the battles 
of his country. He enlisted for three years in 
Company H, Sixth New Jersey Infantry, being 
made first lieutenant. Poor health compelled 
him to resign his position at the end of about a 
year and a-half, and he died February 14, 1869. 
He took part in many battles and engagements, 
and the hardships that he endured undoubtedl}' 
hastened his death. In politics a Democrat, he 
served in the council in Lambertville, and he was 
connected with the Odd Fellows' society and 
encampment and also was identified with the 
Masons. A prominent member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, he held various offices, 
such as class-leader, etc., and possessed the 
love and confidence of all who knew him. 

Samuel Stockton was a pupil in the public 
schools of this city. In early youth he learned 
the cabinet-maker's business under his father 
and afterwards conducted his father's business 
until his death. During the progress of the war 
he was a member of the Pennsylvania emer- 
gency army and was on duty about two months. 

He is the eldest of three children, his sister be- 
ing Adeline C, who married John O. Hull, now 
deceased, and has two sons and a daughter. 
Thomas died and left two children, George and 
John. In 1864 Mr. Stockton married Emma A. 
Barber, of this city, daughter of Cornelius H.and 
Cornelia M. (Britton) Barber. 

After his father's death Samuel Stockton suc- 
ceeded him in the undertaking business. He has 
had charge of about three thousand funerals, and 
made the first interment in River View Cemetery, 
September 25, 1878. He has had more experi- 
ence in his particular line than any other man in 
this section of the state, and perhaps in the whole ' 
of New Jersey. He is the inventor of several ap- 
pliances valuable to those of his profession, and 
is thoroughly practical. He was the first presi- 
dent of the Undertakers' Association of Hunter- 
don and Warren Counties, and was sent by them 
as their delegate to the national convention held 
in Baltimore, March 7, iSSS. He is the chaplain 
of Maj. C. A. Angel Post No. 20, G. A. R.; is 
past sachem of Tuscorora Tribe No. 11, Improved 



4i: 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Order of Red Men; is noble chief of Delaware 
Castle No. 196, Knights of the Golden Eagle, 
of New Hope, Pa.; is past sir knight commander 
of Evening Star Castle No. 15, Ancient Order 
Knights of Mystic Chain; past captain of Adju- 
tant J. S. Studdiford Camp No. 34, Sons of Vet- 
erans; is division chaplain of the Sons of Veter- 
ans of New Jersey, and is a member of Dela- 
ware League No. 10, Improved Order of Red 
Men. 



_v_, £s*$a« 



M+C-l- 



~t — h 



C|OHN D. HOFFMAN is one of the young- 
I est business men of Lebanon, Hunterdon 
(2) County, but has already made a place for 
himself in its commercial circles, and is recog- 
nized as an energetic, live citizen, who is certain 
of success in a financial way and of winning an 
influential and desirable place in the busy world 
of action. Even before he was of age he had em- 
barked in the coal, grain and feed business, which 
he is still carrying on with ability. He seems to 
have inherited from some of his ancestors that 
keenness of judgment, systematic method of 
transacting business, absolute uprightness of 
dealing with others that merits and usually in- 
sures success. 

The Hoffmans are numbered among the pion- 
eers of this section of New Jersey, and have been 
prominent in various of its fields of business ac- 
tivity. They have been land-holders and law- 
abiding citizens, noted for integrity and sound- 
ness of principle, and many of the representatives 
of the name are spoken of in the pages of this 
volume. Their sons and daughters have inter- 
married with the best and most influential fam- 
ilies of these western counties and their worthy 
characteristics have been handed down to the 
present generation. John Hoffman, of German 
descent, removed from Schoharie County, N. Y., 
to this vicinity in 1764, and took up his abode on 
a tract of land situated about a mile east of Leba- 
non village. This property was kept in the fam- 



ily until recently, and was owned in the present 
generation by Nathan Hoffman. Henry, a son 
of the founder of the family in these parts, was 
the great-grandfather of our subject. He mar- 
ried Rebecca Dilts, of one of the old Hunterdon 
County families, and they had several sons, whose 
names are among the best known in this locality, 
viz.: John H., Peter, William H., Henry, Jo- 
seph, Jacob, George H., Ralph and two daugh- 
ters who died in early womanhood. 

Grandfather Jacob Hoffman married Mary 
Porter, who was born three miles south of Leb- 
anon, being a daughter of Timothy L. Porter, an 
honored old resident of that section. The oldest 
son of Jacob and Mary Hoffman was named in 
honor of his grandfather, Timothy Porter, and 
their other children were Oliver H., Martin, 
Seward and William H. Timothy Porter Hoff- 
man, the father of John D., of this sketch, was 
well known in the vicinity of Lebanon, and was 
extensively engaged for many } r ears in buying, 
selling and shipping to the city markets live- 
stock, which he mainly procured in the western 
states. With the exception of a few years, when 
he was in the far west, his whole life was passed 
in Lebanon Township, where he was respected 
and held quite an influential place among his 
neighbors. He had no time for politics be3'ond 
doing his duty as a voter, and was a loyal citizen, 
upholding the laws and standing by good gov- 
ernment. He was born August 12, 1832, and 
departed this life March 14, 1892, then being 
placed in the quiet cemetery of the Reformed 
Church of Lebanon. He married Catherine E. 
Rockefellar and their only child is John D. 

The birth of J. D. Hoffman took place Novem- 
ber 12, 1875, on the parental homestead near 
Lebanon, and there he dwelt until the death of 
his loved father, since which time he has resided 
with his maternal grandfather. He inherited 
the valuable farm formerly the property of his 
father, and owns other real estate, much of which 
is leased to responsible tenants. He obtains a 
good income from these sources, and, as pre- 
viously stated, has been engaged in the coal and 
grain business for several years with gratifying 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4i3 



results. He is a young man of commendable 
principle and praiseworthy habits, and enjoys 
the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. 
Socially he is a member of Vesper Lodge No. 
239, I. O. O. F. , of Lebanon, and in politics is 
affiliated with the Democracy. Religiously he 
adheres to the ancient faith of his fathers, being 
a member of the Reformed Church of Lebanon. 



EWIS S. PERRY, an enterprising young 
! C business man of High Bridge, Hunterdon 
|_J Count j', is one of the energetic and public- 
spirited citizens of this place, always fully awake 
to whatever promises to be beneficial to our peo- 
ple. He cast in his lot with the residents of this 
community some six years ago, since 1892 hav- 
ing conducted a restaurant and news depot. He 
has built up a large and paying custom and merits 
the success with which he is blessed, for it is the 
result of his earnest efforts to meet the needs of 
the public. 

Born in the town of Peapack, Somerset County, 
September 26, 1871, our subject is the son of 
Augustus and Addie (Klotz) Perry, who were 
natives of Sussex and Morris Counties, respect- 
ively. They removed to Hunterdon County in 
1871, when Lewis was an infant, and the family 
has since dwelt in High Bridge. The grand- 
father of our subject, Daniel Perry, was a native 
of Sussex County, as was also the great-grand- 
father, James. The great-great-grandfather, Dan- 
iel Perry, was a near relative of the famous Com- 
modore Perry of the United States navy, and, 
as is supposed, was a native of Scotland. 

Lewis S. Perry was educated in the common 
schools of High Bridge, and when he was but 
fourteen years of age he commenced his business 
life as a news agent on the Central New Jersey 
Railroad, running between High Bridge and Lake 
Hopatcong for seven seasons. He had but just 
reached his majority when he opened his restau- 



rant here, in connection with a news stand, where 
all of the leading journals and periodicals of the 
day are to be found. He is making a thorough 
success of his enterprises, and is popular among 
the citizens and traveling public. 

June 14, 1893, Lewis S. Perry married Addie 
Apgar, daughter of David L. and Elizabeth 
(Seals) Apgar. Mrs. Perry is one of the native 
daughters of High Bridge, and by her marriage 
has become the mother of two bright little ones, 
Lelah R. and Olive E. Mr. Perry is one of 
four brothers, the others being Abram K., of 
Brooklyn, employed in the elevated railroad; 
Theodore, also a resident of Brooklyn, and a 
painter by trade; and Clarence, who is at home 
with his parents. The father is a painter by 
trade, and has been very active in local public 
affairs here. He was one of the board of regis- 
tration under the Australian system, has frequently 
acted as a delegate to conventions of the Demo- 
cratic party, and was foremost in getting the 
town of High Bridge incorporated. Lewis S. Perry 
is affiliated with the Democratic party. Fraternall}' 
he is a member of the Junior Order of American 
Mechanics, belonging to Peerless Council No. 
218, of High Bridge, and held the office of treas- 
urer with the same. A Patriotic Son of America, 
he is identified with Camp No. 40, of Glen Gard- 
ner. 



30HN W. BEAVERS has been engaged in 
general merchandising in the town of Cali- 
fon, Hunterdon County, for several years, 
and has made a reputation for fair dealing, up- 
rightness and correct business methods well 
worthy of emulation. He makes a point of do- 
ing a strictly cash business, and thus obtains the 
better and more desirable class of patronage. In 
every reasonable manner he seeks to promote the 
well-being of his fellow-citizens, and is always in 
the front of every measure calculated to advance 
the prosperity of this town. As a patriot and 



4 i4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



good citizen he upholds law and order, and votes 
in accordance with the dictates of his conscience. 

Grandfather Joseph Beavers was a native of 
this county, was a farmer by occupation, and 
owned the old homestead where the birth of the 
subject of this article afterward took place. He 
met with fair success in life, and left a valuable 
estate at his death. He held quite a prominent 
position in the community in which he dwelt, 
and was a justice of the peace and a freeholder, 
besides occupying minor offices. His daughter 
Elizabeth married Henry Bruner, who was a car- 
penter by trade, and whose home was in Middle 
Valley, N. J. George B., the younger son, was a 
miller, and resided in different parts of this 
county up to the last quarter of a century prior 
to his death, when he dwelt in Glen Gardner. 

William C. Beavers, father of our subject, was 
the elder son of his parents, and his whole life 
was passed upon the homestead where he first 
saw the light. From time to time he was called 
upon by his neighbors to serve in local positions 
of trust, and among these he was a freeholder 
and collector. Death put an end to his labors ere 
he had commenced the down-grade of his life 
journey, as he died in i860, when our subject was 
but five years old. He had married Mary A. 
Banghart and four children were born of their 
union: George, who died while in the Federal 
army, in the south; Abigail; Andrew, now a 
resident of Flanders, N. J.; and John W. 

The birth of John W. Beavers occurred Decem- 
ber 9, 1855, not far from Califon, and his early 
days were quietly spent upon the old farm. His 
elementary education was such as was afforded by 
the district schools, and later he entered the state 
normal school at Trenton, finishing with a 
course in the New York College of Pharmacy that 
consumed two years. As he was needed at home 
he returned and took charge of affairs there until 
the death of his mother, in November, 1885. 
The property was then disposed of, and the 
young man embarked in the business world in 
Califon, and has been here ever since. He was 
alone as a general merchant for three years, and 
in 1S8S entered into partnership with George W. 



Beatty. This connection, under the firm name ot 
Beatty & Beavers, flourished during a period of 
five years, at the expiration of which time Mr. 
Beatty, desiring to take his son into partnership, 
bought out the interest of our subject. The lat- 
ter was not in business during the succeeding 
few months, but was making his plans, which he 
subsequently carried out, of again entering the 
commercial world, this time alone as at first. He 
carries a full line of general dry goods and no- 
tions and commands a fair share of the local 
trade. 

On account of his strong feeling on the subject 
of temperance Mr. Beavers is an advocate of the 
platform of the Prohibition party, and is treasurer 
of the township committee of the same. He 
holds membership with the Dower Valley Presby- 
terian Church. April 22, 1 8S 1, he married Ella, 
daughter of Edward C. and Lydia Datimer, 
of High Bridge. To their marriage three chil- 
dren were born, but of these only one survives, 
Joyce, born December 25, 1897. 



HON. BARTDETT C. FROST, now serving 
his third term as mayor of Phillipsburg, 
Warren County, was first elected to this 
responsible position on the Republican ticket in 
the spring of 1S96. His personal popularity was 
largely accountable for his victory, as this town 
usually polls a fair Democratic majority. He 
was re-elected in 1897 and 1S98. Undoubtedly 
a strong reason for his being proposed as mayor 
is the fact that he has always been a power in 
the promotion of every enterprise that has been 
started here for years, and his fellow-citizens 
realized that they could trust the town's interest 
to no better hands. 

The birth of our subject occurred in Deeds, 
Androscoggin County, Me., March 17, 1S33. 
His parents, Oliver P. and Esther (Jennings) 
Frost, were natives of the same locality. The 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4'5 



father, who was of English descent, was a farmer 
in a small way, and was a blacksmith by trade. 
He died in 1S63, having survived his wife 
twenty-one years. Four of their six children are 
living, viz.: Orintha, widow of D. Jennings, of 
Dowell, Mass.; Deborah, widow of W. W. Wil- 
son, of the same city; Esther, wife of Jeremiah 
Buxton, of Yarmouth, Me., and the subject of 
this sketch. 

After receiving a liberal education in the public 
schools of his native state, B. C. Frost attended 
the Wesleyan Seminary of Maine for a period of 
three years. In 1852 he took charge of a school 
as teacher, and in the fall of 1854 he came to New 
Jersey and taught for one winter in the schools of 
Clarksville, Hunterdon County. Then for another 
year he was similarly occupied in Spriugtown, 
Warren County, and during all this time that he 
was employed in educational work in this state 
he was quietly pursuing the stud}' of law. One 
year he was a pupil in the Albany law school; 
then he taught again for a year at the "Forge" 
Warren County, and in due course of time was 
admitted to the bar in 1858 by the supreme court. 

It was in i860 that Mr. Frost cast in his lot 
with the inhabitants of Phillipsburg, and two 
years later he was admitted as a counsellor-at- 
law. Just after the war, in 1865, he became con- 
nected with the Phillipsburg Mutual Building and 
Loan Association, and in 1867 with the Building 
and Loan Association of Phillipsburg, and con- 
tinued secretary of both associations until they 
matured and were successfully wound up. These 
companies were very useful in the growth and 
upbuilding of this town, and when their affairs 
were closed a few years ago, everything was in 
good order, and no one had any cause for dissat- 
isfaction with the manner in which the enterprise 
had been conducted. Since the People's Water 
Company of Phillipsburg was organized in 1886 
he has been one of the directors in the company, 
and space forbids further enumeration of the 
many industries, etc., with which he has been 
concerned here. For two terms he served as cor- 
poration attorney for the city and five years was 
attorney for Lopatcong Township. With the 



exception of one vote cast for Greeley, Mr. Frost 
has been faithful in his adherence to the Repub- 
lican party since casting his first ballot for 
Fremont in 1856. A member of the Masonic 
fraternity, he belongs to Delaware Dodge No. 52, 
F. & A. M., and to Eagle Chapter No. 30, 
R. A. M. He is a Knight Templar, being a 
member of DeMolay Commandery No. 6, at 
Washington, N. J. 

In Easton, Pa., March 17, 1874, Mr. Frost and 
Mary D-, daughter of Jacob B. Balliet, were 
united in marriage. Four children were born to 
them and were named as follows: Bartlett C, Jr., 
deceased; Evander, a law student in his father's 
office; Orville, deceased; and Margery, at home. 
Mr. Frost is recognized as one of the leading law- 
yers of Phillipsburg, and is the oldest practi- 
tioner here. 



Wl ORRIS R. ALBRIGHT, a well-known 
J business man of Junction, Hunterdon 
(S County, has been a worker in the ranks of 
the Republican party, in whose principles he 
earnestly believes, and has been a member of the 
election board ever since he came to this place, 
about nine years ago. The high position in 
which he stands in the confidence of the people 
was manifested in March, 1895, when they 
elected him to serve as collector of the borough 
of Junction for a term of three years. He has 
made a thoroughly satisfactory officer, promptly 
and systematically discharging ever}' duty of the 
position. 

The Albright family originated in Germany 
many generations ago, and have been represented 
in the state of Pennsylvania for a long period. 
Samuel L. Albright, father of our subject, was 
born in Northampton County, Pa., and is now 
living retired from active business life. In his 
early manhood he followed the carpenter's trade, 
subsequently turned his attention to agricultural 



416 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



pursuits, and later engaged in merchandising. 
He has voted the Republican ticket since the or- 
ganization of the party, but has never been an 
aspirant to political honors. For many years he 
has been a valued worker in the Presbyterian 
Church, having been a trustee, elder and super- 
intendent of the Sunday-school. He married 
Mary Ann, daughter of John Able, of this count}', 
and to them were born six sons and two daugh- 
ters. John Calvin is a druggist and physician in 
South Amboy, N. J.; George Peter is a school 
teacher in Oxford, N. J. ; Morris R. is the next 
in order of birth; Anna Margaret is the wife of 
George La Rue, of Kingstown, N. J.; William 
Herbert is a student in the Medico-Chirurgical 
College of Philadelphia; Whitfield K. is a drug- 
gist, clerking with his eldest brother in South 
Amboy; Josiah Coleman is at home; and Cather- 
ine Rachel is a graduate of the state normal and 
is now engaged in teaching. 

Morris R. Albright is a native of the village of 
Martin's Creek, Northampton County, Pa., born 
June 29, 1 86 1. He acquired a good education in 
the public schools, and when he had attained his 
majority he was placed in charge of a school. 
He had prepared himself for the position by dili- 
gent study, and met with success in his peda- 
gogic work, during the seven years which he de- 
voted to the business. For the last three years 
of this period he spent all of his spare time in the 
study of pharmacy, and subsequently he was a 
clerk in a drug store in McKeyport, N. J. , for a 
year, in order to gain necessaty experience. 1 11 
1889 he came to Junction and bought out the 
druggist here, since which time he has conducted 
the business. In 1S97 he erected his present 
building, a structure 24x40 feet in dimensions, 
the second story being occupied as a barber shop. 
Mr. Albright is a practical watch and clock re- 
pairer, and at intervals in his other business de- 
votes some time to this line. Pie is a member of 
Shabekoug Tribe No. 46, Improved Order of Red 
Men, of Junction, and also belongs to the Junior 
Order of American Mechanics, Hunterdon Coun- 
cil No. 94. Religiously he is a Presbyterian, 
holding membership with the local congregation, 



and is interested in the work of the Sunday- 
school, being a teacher in the same, and also the 
secretary. 

October 22, 1892, Mr. Albright married Mar- 
garet, daughter of our respected citizen, Ezra 
Nason, the late mayor of Junction. The young 
couple have one promising little son, William 
Harvey. 



• — ♦>«•}-• (i,(£>i • ; «-<« — t— f- 



KOBERT Q. BOWERS. This successful 
business man of Hackettstown, who is the 
senior member of the firm of Bowers & Son, 
was born in this place March 26, 1831. He is 
of German descent, being a grandson of Jacob 
Bowers, who came to America from Germany and 
settled on a farm near Belvidere, Warren County, 
continuing to reside there until his death when in 
middle life. The father, Michael Bowers, a 
native of this county, was orphaned at an early 
age and being without means was bound out as 
an apprentice. In spite of lack of advantages, he 
worked his way from poverty to independence, 
and became well-to-do. The greater part of his 
life was spent in Washington, Warren County, 
where he was proprietor of a foundry. In politi- 
cal belief he was a Democrat and in religious beliel 
held membership with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. His death occurred when he was about 
seventy-eight years of age. Two sons, Robert O. 
and John (who is a resident of Delaware) were 
born of his union with Hannah Quick, a native 
of Warren County, but deceased at the age of 
thirty years. 

During his boyhood days our subject assisted 
his father on the home farm and in the foundry. 
On attaining his majority he formed a partner- 
ship with his father in the management of the 
foundry at Washington, where he remained for 
six years. About 1S5S he came to Hackettstown 
and purchased the foundry of which he has since 
been the proprietor and manager. The great 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4i7 



issues before the people of the present age receive 
his thoughtful attention. Believing the liquor 
traffic to be the greatest curse of our nation, he 
gives his support to Prohibition doctrines and en- 
deavors, by precept and example, to weaken the 
power of the ' 'whiskey ring. ' ' He and his family 
are identified with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in which he has been a steward and 
trustee for many years. 

The marriage of Mr. Bowers took place July 1, 
1852, and united him with Miss Elizabeth P. 
Kenneman, of Washington, Warren County. 
They became the parents of six children, all but 
one of whom are now living. Margaret, the eld- 
est of the family, is the wife of James H. Stitzer, 
of Philadelphia; Sarah married John Seward 
Lampson, of Dover, N. J.; Michael B., who was 
born in Washington, this county, has spent al- 
most his entire life, however, in Hackettstown, 
and since 187S has been the junior partner in the 
foundry business; Robert Q., Jr., is now em- 
ployed in the foundry business at Washington; 
William, the youngest son, died when twenty- 
one years of age; and Laura, the youngest of 
the family, is the wife of F. H. Gulick, of Phila- 
delphia. 



""RASMUS L. REIGLE, M. D. Though 
V) his residence in the town of Bloomsbury, 
_ „ Hunterdon County, extends over less than 
a decade, the enterprising young physician whose 
name commences this sketch has built up a large 
and lucrative practice, having about all that he 
can attend to satisfactorily. He is a member of 
the local board of health and has been township 
physician since 1893, and besides is the official 
examiner for two of the old-established life in- 
surance companies here. He stands well in the 
estimation of everyone, no less than in that of 
the members of his own profession. He is a 
student, keeping fully posted on all new discov- 
eries in the realm of science and medicine, and is 



not burdened with a multitude of the old, worn- 
out theories of the former generations of those 
who practiced the healing art. 

The family of which the doctor is a sterling 
representative originated in Germany, as the 
name implies. John Reigle, his grandfather, 
came to America about 1790, and located in 
Bucks County, Pa. He was a cabinet-maker by 
trade, and followed that business in the vicinity 
of the town of Erwinna. He was a master in his 
line, and perseveriugly worked at it during his 
active life, making a good livelihood for his fam- 
ily. He was a Lutheran in religious faith, and 
was very active in the promotion of the interests 
of his denomination. He married Rosanna 
Moser. Of their five children Joseph M., the 
doctor's father, was next to the eldest. 

Born in Bucks County, Pa., Joseph M. Reigle 
first saw the light of day in 1S1S. He was edu- 
cated in the common schools of the vicinity of 
his parental home, later being privileged to at- 
tend one in Philadelphia for a time. Early in 
his career he decided to become an agriculturist, 
and his whole life was devoted to that pursuit in 
his native county. He was a Democrat in poli- 
tics, and religiously was a Lutheran. He mar- 
ried Catherine, daughter of George Maust, a 
neighboring farmer. Thirteen children came to 
bless their home and eight of the number are yet 
living, the others having died in infancy. Syl- 
vester resides in Holland Township, Hunterdon 
County; Joseph H. lives in Bucks County, Pa.; 
Ella married Levi Lanning, of this county; El- 
kanah is in Bucks County; Erasmus is the 
next in order of birth; Lorenzo D. is in 
this county; Lucretia is the wife of Hugh Shu- 
man, and lives on the old Reigle homestead 
in Bucks County; and Estella is making her 
home with our subject and attends to his com- 
fort in various ways, being his devoted friend and 
companion. 

Dr. E. L. Reigle was born at Erwinna, Bucks 
County, Pa., April 1, 1863. He learned the ele- 
mental branches of knowledge in the public 
schools of his native place, later was a student in 
the Frenchtown Academy and for a period at- 



4i8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tended Rutgers College in New Brunswick. 
Then, for eighteen months he engaged in mer- 
cantile pursuits in Philadelphia, later spending 
three years as a traveling salesman for the firm of 
Garrettson & Co., of the Quaker city. In 
the meantime he devoted considerable time to 
hard study, hispreceptor being Dr. O. E. Snyder, 
of Quakertown, this count}'. Subsecjuently he 
graduated from Jefferson Medical College of Phil- 
adelphia in 1889, with the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine. He at once located in Bloomsbury, 
arriving here in May, 1889. He has been par- 
ticularly successful in the treatment of diseases of 
children. The first year after became here there 
was an epidemic of influenza, and he was re- 
markably fortunate in meeting this enemy, so 
that his reputation was assured. Fraternally he 
is a member of the Order of Red Men, is an Odd 
Fellow and belongs to the Junior Order of Ameri- 
can Mechanics. He holds membership with the 
Methodist Church, and is always to be counted 
upon to use his influence and means for whatever 
will prove of benefit to his fellow-citizens. Dike 
his father before him he uses his franchise in fa- 
vor of the principles and nominees of the Democ- 
racy. 



IVy AHDON HULSIZER is one of the honored 
I y old residents of Hunterdon Count}', as were 
|(S his parents before him. Both of his grand- 
fathers were patriots who offered their services 
or lives, if the need came, to this country in her 
struggle for independence during the Revolution, 
and from them our subject doubtless inherited his 
love for liberty, regard for the rights of his fel- 
low-men and many of the sterling and hardy 
virtues for which he has always been noted. 
Born and reared in this county, he has always 
been interested in its upbuilding and growth, and 
has done all that was in his power to promote its 
best and most lasting institutions and laws. 
David Hulsizer, father of our subject, was a 



prominent man in his time in this county, and 
served his fellow-citizens in many capacities, 
such as justice of the peace, judge of the county 
court, etc. His chief life occupation was that of 
agriculture, and prosperity crowned his efforts. 
He died in 1862 and had been preceded to the 
grave by his wife some ten years. She bore the 
maiden name of Mary Chamberlain, and was 
reared to womanhood in this, her native county. 

The birth of Mahlon Hulsizer took place in 
1815, and his education was obtained in the pub- 
lic schools of his locality, which were excellent 
and under good teachers. When a mere child he 
was initiated into the mysteries of agriculture, 
and from that day to the present he has been 
thoroughly identified with the business. He 
owns one hundred and sixty -five acres of finely 
improved land, a part of which is situated along 
the Dehigh Valley Railroad, thus making it es- 
pecially valuable. The buildings upon the place 
are neat and substantial, and everything about 
the farm is kept in a thrifty manner, reflecting 
great credit upon the proprietor. For more than 
twenty years he was a member of the county 
committee, and he has also been a judge of elec- 
tions, though he has never desired office, merely 
accepting such places to accommodate his neigh- 
bors. No man stands higher in the regard of his 
associates than he, and his whole life is like an 
open book, that "he who runs may read," for it 
is the record of deeds of goodness quietly and un- 
ostentatiously performed, of innumerable acts of 
kindness and charity toward those less fortunate 
than himself, of patience, gentleness and unfail- 
ing courtesy towards all. 

The sharer of Mr. Hulsizer's joys and sorrows 
along his journey of life is still with him, cheer- 
ing and assisting him in all his hours of sadness. 
They were married in 1839, and were blessed 
with seven children. Mary Elizabeth is the wife 
of Augustus K. Smith; Emily Caroline is the wife 
of Thomas J. Stires; Ellen C. married A. B. 
Demott; Annie is Mrs. Joseph Stires, of Somer- 
ville; Jacob S. resides in Allendale; and David 
S. and Christopher complete the number. The 
mother of these children was Mary Sharp before 




JOSEPH M. ROSRBKRRV. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



421 



her marriage, and is a daughter of David Sharp, 
a respected citizen of this county. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hulsizer are members of the old-school Baptist 
Church and have always supported by their 
means and influence all worthy enterprises. 



(JOSEPH M. ROSEBERRY. Nearly twenty 
I years have passed since this highly respected 
V~) citizen of Belvidere, Warren County, was 
admitted to the bar, and during this period he 
has built up for himself a reputation that is 
indeed enviable. His ability as a lawyer, though 
great and well recognized in this portion of the 
country, is, however, not secondary to his talent 
for business, and his mind, life and character are 
well rounded, commanding the esteem of all who 
know him. His services to the Republican part}', 
with which great political body he is enrolled, 
have been and are most valuable. For several 
years he was chairman of the Warren County 
Republican committee, and has succeeded very 
materially in organizing the forces and making it 
a power in this locality, having reduced the 
Democratic majority over fifteen hundred. 

On the paternal side Mr. Roseberry is de- 
scended from one of the early settlers of this 
county. His great-grandfather, John Roseberry, 
was a man of considerable wealth when he came 
to America. He made a permanent home in 
Phillipsburg in 1750, and owned about fifteen 
hundred acres, embracing nearly the whole site 
of the present city. He married Margaret, 
daughter of William Phillips, the founder of 
Phillipsburg, in whose honor it was named. A 
brother-in-law, Gen. John Phillips, served in the 
Revolutionary war. 

From Michael, a sou of John Roseberry, is de- 
scended Joseph M. Roseberry, Sr. , born in Octo- 
ber, 1804, who was a farmer by occupation, but 
did not confine himself to that one line-of enter- 
prise. He was remarkably good as a financier, 



and through the exercise of judicious care and 
correct methods became very well off, as at his 
death his estate, with what he had previously 
given to his children, was estimated to be about 
$150,000 in value. In the work of the Presby- 
terian Church, with which denomination he was 
connected, he was very active, contributing liber- 
ally to religious and charitable enterprises. Had 
he so desired he might have held various positions 
of responsibility and honor, but he was not am- 
bitious of public recognition. For his wife he 
chose Sally A. , daughter of Abraham and grand- 
daughter of Benjamin DePue. The latter was a 
commissary in the war of the Revolution and 
married Catherine, daughter of Col. Abraham 
Van Campen, who commanded a regiment of 
New Jerse)' troops in the French and Indian 
wars, and was the first judge of old Sussex 
County. The original DuPue (spelled in French 
Dupuis or Dupuy) ancestor in America was a 
Huguenot whose Christian name was Nicholas; 
from him are descended Chauncey M. Depew 
and other men of national repute. He emigrated 
from Artois, France, in October, 1662, and 
bought land in New York City — the site of the 
present Produce Exchange building and was 
classed as one of its wealthiest citizens. Our 
subject's father departed this life August 5, 1SS7. 
Nine of his children survive him, and two of the 
number and a brother-in-law are lawyers. 

J. M. Roseberry, of this sketch, was born in 
Oxford Township, Warren County, December 3, 
1852. After finishing his preliminary studies in 
the schools of Belvidere and Blairstown Academy 
he entered Princeton College, in 1S73. He grad- 
uated four years later, in the meantime having 
spent one year in opening an iron mine in Scott 
Mountain near here. His alma mater bestowed 
upon him the degrees of Bachelor of Philosophy 
and Master of Arts, and he still belongs to a fel- 
lowship class of 1877 and contributes to two 
endowment funds. Determining to enter the 
legal profession, he took up the study of law 
under the direction of J. G. Shipman & Son, and 
at the expiration of three years was admitted to 
the bar as an attorney. He became a counsellor- 



17 



422 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



at-law in 1887 and has a large legal business. 
He is one of the counsel of the United States 
Pipe Line Company in its struggle in the courts 
with the Standard Oil Company, and the railroads 
in laying its line of pipes through New Jersey. 
His uame has been prominently before the public 
owing to his connection with various important 
cases, railway suits, murder trials, etc. At one 
time he had control of the Osmun iron mine, and 
from time to time he has made profitable invest- 
ments in real estate, farms and owns considerable 
mining property, etc. He holds membership 
with the First Presbyterian Church, and is very 
liberal in his contributions to its expenses. 

August 15, 1891, Mr. Roseberry married Mary 
Winter White, and their only child, Joseph 
White, was born April 29, 1897. Mrs. Rose- 
berry is a daughter of Thomas White, and is a 
direct descendant of one Alexander White, who 
settled in Greenwich, N. J., long prior to the 
Revolutionary war. His three sons were Will- 
iam, Alexander and Samuel. William, the eld- 
est, resided in the fine old family mansion, White- 
hall, which was built of stone, and though 
constructed over a century ago, is still standing 
and in a fair state of preservation. Lieut. Will- 
iam White was the first man from Sussex County 
(then comprising the territory of the present 
Sussex and Warren Counties) to join the army 
of Washington, at Boston, Mass. After having 
had his papers properly certified to by the free- 
holders of his home county, he proceeded with 
his younger brother, Samuel (a lad under age) 
to give his services to the cause of freedom and 
independence. The brother lost his life in the 
ensuing war, while he, William, shipwrecked all 
of his goodly estates and property for the same 
great object; and the old. homestead, including 
the stately residence, Whitehall, passed into the 
hands of his other brother, Col. Alexander 
White, who had also been a soldier in the same 
war. President William Henry Harrison stopped 
at the old homestead on one occasion. The 
property has continued in the family up to the 
date of this writing and is now owned by William 
B. White, a direct descendant of Col. Alexander 



White, who at the time of his death had sixteen 
hundred acres of land. About 1760 Alexander 
White, Sr. , donated the land known as the White 
burying-ground, in Oxford Township, to the com- 
munity, and it is a tradition that one of the White 
family built a church of bricks imported from 
England. 




"WHITEHALL," near Belvidere, N. J., was 
erected before the revolutionary war and was 
the home of Lieut. Wtoiam White, first soedier 
of Sussex (now Warren) County, who joined 
with his brother the army of washington at 
Boston, Mass., in 1775. Later WHITEHALL was 

THE RESIDENCE OF COL. ALEXANDER WHITE. 



30HN TODD, a wealthy and influential citi- 
zen of Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, 
owns a pleasant home here, where he and his 
family pass a portion of each j'ear. He has been 
engaged in business enterprises in New York 
City for nearly half a century and has justly 
earned the title of self-made, for he commenced 
his financial life at the bottom rounds of the lad- 
der, and by his own efforts worked his way to the 
top. He overcame the difficulties of being a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



stranger in a strange land, of being without 
money or influential friends, and by his own 
merits commanded the respect of all with whom 
he came into contact before many years had 
rolled away. 

The birth of John Todd occurred in County 
Down, Ireland, May 29, 1829, his father being 
Thomas Todd, a strict Protestant in religious be- 
lief. When he had reached his majority, or with- 
in a few months thereafter, our subject concluded 
to seek a home and fortune on the shores of the 
New World. Bidding farewell to all his old friends 
and associates, he sailed to the United States, 
landing in New York City in 1851. He soon 
found employment in a box manufactory in the 
metropolis, and, having learned the details of the 
business, he decided that he would stick to it as 
a means of obtaining his livelihood in the future. 
That very Scotch -Irish trait of perseverance is 
undoubtedly one of the chief secrets of his suc- 
cess in life, and it seems to the biographer, whose 
duty it is to trace the histories of men, that it 
would be very profitable to man}' of them were 
they to emulate Mr. Todd's example in this re- 
spect, as obviously thousands of comparative 
failures in life are due to restless and unreason- 
able changes from one occupation to another 
and from one location to another. His prac- 
tical sense and genuine ability soon obtained 
promotion for our subject, and for several years 
he was the foreman of the factory. The plant 
is situated at Nos. 150 and 152 Baxter street, 
and since 1862 has been the property of Mr. 
Todd, he having purchased it at that time. 
In 1875 he bought the farm in this township, 
and has since devoted considerable time to its 
management. He is a lover of fine stock, and 
owns some thoroughbred Alderney cattle. The 
place comprises ninety-two acres and is well im- 
proved, affording a delightful summer home to 
the family, whose city residence is on Eighty- 
seventh street. In 1S97 Mr. Todd retired from 
business and intends to pass his declining years 
on his home farm. He is a member and has 
served as an elder in the Phillips Presbyterian 
Church in New York and when here is a faith- 



ful attendant upon the services of the Clinton 
Presbyterian Church. He votes the Republican 
ticket. 

In 1858 he married Mary, daughter of John 
Macklin, formerly of Clinton. The children 
that blessed the union of our subject and wife 
are: Andrew Thomas, who is in business in the 
metropolis; Alexander M., a lumber merchant of 
the same city; Ada E. , Mary E., William H. 
and Alice A. Mrs. Todd comes from an honored 
old family of this county, her father having been 
prominent in local affairs, and her uncle, Rev. 
Alexander Macklin, having been the first Pres- 
byterian minister in Clinton. The elder sons of 
Mr. Todd are active young business men, giving 
promise of inherited ability. The second son is 
the senior member in the firm of A. M. Todd 
& Co., which owns a lumber yard at the 
foot of Third street on the East River. His 
brother, William H., is a bookkeeper for this 
firm, and our subject is also financially interested 
in the business. 



— -y— t — «>3-»>'e(T3^'>C\« — ' — s- 



ON. IRWIN W. SCHULTZ, ex-mayor of 
Phillipsburg, Warren County, occupies an 
enviable position in the regard of his fellow- 
citizens, and is justly esteemed one of our best 
and most representative men. With the excep- 
tion of the railroad corporations here, there are 
few enterprises of any magnitude or general use- 
fulness to this community with which he is not 
now or has been connected. No one could be 
more patriotic or more thoroughly in sympathy 
with every movement calculated to benefit the 
people of his own neighborhood than he is and 
has been in the past. In fact the mere enumera- 
tion of the various concerns which have received 
his material aid and influential support would ex- 
ceed the limits of this article, and therefore only 
a few will be mentioned. 

I. W. Schultz was born in Phillipsburg, De- 



4 2 4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



cember 6, 1855. Having completed his public- 
school education he graduated from Lafayette 
College, Eastou, Pa., at the close of a classical 
course in 1879. He next took up the study of 
law with William M. Davis, of Phillipsburg, and 
was admitted to the bar as an attorney in Novem- 
ber, 18S1, and as counsellor in 1885. Immed- 
iately opening an office, he embarked in the prac- 
tice of his chosen profession, and from the first 
his success was assured, for his abilities were 
well recognized by a large circle of acquaintances 
while he was a mere youth. In 1883 he was 
elected city auditor and served one year. In 
1884 he was elected mayor of Phillipsburg and 
served one year, then refused re-election. 

From the time that the large and prosperous 
industry of the Phillipsburg silk mills was organ- 
ized he was interested in the two plants and was 
president of the Phillipsburg Silk Mill Company 
for two years, which gives employment to a large 
number of persons. In 18S9 he was appointed 
law or resident judge of the court of common 
pleas of Warren County and continued in that 
responsible position until 1892, when he resigned 
in order to attend to the administration of an es- 
tate. In September, 1896, he and W. C. Pilgrim, 
under the firm name of Schultz & Pilgrim, 
bought the Warren Democrat and in the follow- 
ing December began issuing the Warren Daily 
News- Democrat. Our subject takes an active 
part in the management of this journal, which is 
one of the best papers of the kind published in 
this part of the state of New Jersey. 

Among the fraternities Mr. Schultz stands de- 
servedly high. He belongs to Delaware Lodge 
No. 52, F. & A. M.; Montana Lodge No. 2, K. 
of P., and was district deputy of the same; is an 
Odd Fellow and is identified with the Patriotic 
Order Sons of America. June 3, 1886, Mr. 
Schultz married Jessie B., daughter of Dr. Sam- 
uel Glenn, of Washington, N. J. 

The parents of Mr. Schultz are Alexander and 
Selinda (Smith ) Schultz, who were married in 
June, 1854. The father was born in Prussia, 
Germany, April 8, 1S2S, and came to America in 
1853. He resided in New York City until the 



year 1864, when he removed to Phillipsburg. 
In politics he is independent, and for three 
years he was a member of the city council. 
Religiously he is a Lutheran. His wife was a 
daughter of Michael Smith, and some of her an- 
cestors were patriots of the wars of the Revolu- 
tion and 1812. Five children were born to Al- 
exander Schultz and wife, but only two are liv- 
ing: I. W. and Louis G., the latter a lawyer at 
Fort Worth, Tex. 



C) FORGE J. BUCKLEY is an industrious, 
— reliable farmer of Readington Township, 
^ Hunterdon County, his home having been 
for the past ten years on the well-improved 
homestead where he may be found to-day. He is 
a native of German}', and came to America a 
poor boy, to seek an honest manner of earning 
his livelihood and to found a home when it 
should appear best. He has been a life-long ag- 
riculturist, and from a very early age was 
thoroughly familiar with farming in all its prac- 
tical details. Commencing his career in New 
Jersey without friends or influence, a stranger in 
a strange laud, he persevered through all diffi- 
culties, mastered the English language in time, 
and acquired a competence. 

In a family numbering six children whose par- 
ents were Matthias and Catharine (Stores) Buck- 
ley, our subject is the fourth in order of birth. 
His brothers and sisters are named as follows: 
Catherine, Pauline, Louis, Maria and Matthias. 
The parents were natives of Germany and were 
well-to-do farmers. George J. was born Novem- 
ber 25, 1838, on the parental homestead, where he 
remained until he was fifteen years of age, re- 
ceiving an education in the neighboring schools. 
In 1S54 he decided to come to America with his 
brother Matthias. He came direct to this state 
and worked on a farm for many years — in fact 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



425 



he was in the employ of Susan A. Regar, a wid- 
ow, for a long period of thirty -one years, or until 
May, 1887. 

Having laid aside a goodly competence, Mr. 
Buckley felt himself amply justified in buying a 
farm for himself and establishing a home in 1887. 
He was married on the 25th of May, that 
year, to Sarah C. Messier, a native of this 
township, and together they at once started 
housekeeping on their new farm, which comprises 
eighty-one acres. Mr. and Mrs. Buckley are 
much respected in this locality, and are mem- 
bers' of the Presbyterian Church. In his political 
belief he is affiliated with the Republican party. 



Gl BEL BRINTON HARING, cashier of the 
LJ Union National Bank of Frenchtown, Hun- 
/ 1 terdon County, has occupied this responsi- 
ble and trustworthy position for nearly twenty 
years and has given complete satisfaction to the 
general public as well as to his superior officers 
in this well-known financial institution, where he 
has been employed for twenty -seven years. He 
may be said to be a self-made man, in the best 
sense of the word, as he has relied upon his own 
resources from his early youth, and has literally 
been the "architect of his own fortunes." From a 
long line of sterling upright ancestors he inherited 
traits of the strictest integrity and justice, and 
sound patriotism and love of country. 

The gentleman of whom this is a sketch comes 
of German stock, with a slight intermixture of 
French blood. His paternal grandfather came 
from Germany to the United States when in 
young manhood and took up his abode in Bucks 
County, Pa., whither his two brothers had pre- 
ceded him. Both of these brothers were active 
participants in the colonial struggle for independ- 
ence, and one of them was commissioned by the 
general assembly to collect arms and ammunition 
for the continental army, which office he filled 



with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of 
all concerned. On the maternal side, the great- 
grandfather of our subject was a native of Ger- 
many, though his wife was from France. Grand- 
father Haring removed from Bucks County to 
Milton, Pa., then a frontier town, where he re- 
sided many years. 

There David Haring, the father of A. B. Har- 
ing, was born and reared. When he was a mere 
youth he decided to become a potter, and to carry 
out his plans he located in Nockamixon Town- 
ship, Bucks County, where there was a very fine 
quality of clay suitable for his work. Many 
large potteries had already been established in 
that vicinity and he found plenty of employment. 
He there met and married Annie Bigley, and of 
the eight children who blessed their union the 
two oldest, a son and the only daughter, died 
while young, and another son died in a southern 
prison during the late war. The others are all 
still living and are respected citizens of the sev- 
eral communities in which they make their 
homes. 

The birth of Abel B. Haring occurred in 
Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, Pa., 
April 2, 1847. He remained under the parental 
roof-tree until he was about seventeen years of 
age, assisting his father in his extensive potteries, 
and obtaining a general education in the public 
schools of the neighborhood, which were open for 
pupils' instruction about five months of the year. 
Young Haring was a bright and ambitious stu- 
dent, very quick to learn, and, though it may read- 
ily be seen that his advantages were not of the 
best, he made rapid progress, and when about 
eighteen passed an examination and was placed 
in charge of a school as a teacher. He had, how- 
ever, especially prepared himself for the work by 
a fourteen weeks' course in a normal school, and 
for two years he was very successfully occupied 
in pedagogic endeavor. He next concluded that 
he should have commercial training, and accord- 
ingly he entered the general store of the late H. 
E. Warford, of Frenchtown, as a bookkeeper 
and salesman. He continued with the firm for 
some four years, at the end of which period he 



426 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was elected to the position of teller in the Union 
National Bank of this place. He commenced his 
new duties March 1 , and continued to faithfully 
discharge them as teller until 1879, when he was 
promoted to the post of cashier, and as such has 
since served. He uses his franchise in favor of 
the nominees of the Democratic part)', and is a 
loyal upholder of law and good government. He 
and his wife are members of the Presbyterian 
Church at Frenchtown. Mr. Haring has been 
twice married. His first wife bore the maiden 
name of Jennie Vorhis. She was a native of this 
county and at her death left one daughter, 
Beulah Edna, now fourteen years of age. Octo- 
ber 5, 1892, Mr. Haring married Miss Johanna 
Krewson, who was born and reared in Warmin- 
ster Township, Bucks County, Pa. and is the 
daughter of Garrett Krewson. 

Fraternally Mr. Haring is a Mason, belonging 
to Orion Dodge No. 56, F. & A. M.; Wilson 
Chapter No. 13, R. A. M., and St. Elmo Com- 
mandery, K. T., and is past master of the blue 
lodge. He is a member of Magnolia Dodge No. 
571, I. O. O. F. , in which he has filled all of the 
chairs. In Dily Encampment No. 20, I. 0. O. 
F., he is a past chief patriarch; in Home Dodge 
No. 95, K. of P., he is a past officer, and in Man- 
hattan Tribe No. 29, I, O. R. M., he is a past 
sachem. He is enthusiastic on the subject of se- 
cret orders, believing that from them great bene- 
fits may be derived, both intellectual and mate- 
rial. 



UDDOW P. WOODEN, who is deceased, was 
I C a highly respected citizen of White House 
L^ Station, Hunterdon County, where he con- 
ducted a well-equipped hotel for several years 
with ability and to the general satisfaction of 
the public. He was a man of undoubted talent 
and upright reliable business methods, which 
commended themselves to all with whom he had 
dealings. His death, which occurred November 



15, 1895, was deplored as a great and lasting cal- 
amity to the community, for the loss of a good 
and enterprising citizen is always one which 
closely affects the prosperity of a locality. His 
life was a busy and useful one, and was replete 
with a thousand acts of generosity and kindness 
to his fellows, the memory of which enshrines 
him in many a heart. At the same time he was 
retiring and unostentatious and his right hand 
rarely knew of the good works which his left 
hand accomplished. But it was chiefly in the 
happy home circle that his virtues most strongly 
shone forth, and as a husband and father he was 
all that is most noble in a man. 

D. P. Wooden was born in Plainfield, N. J., 
May 3, 1840, being a son of Ezra and Ann D. 
(Kendall) Wooden, who were both natives of 
New Jersey. Their family originally numbered 
eight children, but only four now survive, viz.: 
Sarah, Maggie, William and Martin. The 
grandfather of our subject on the paternal side 
was Gideon Wooden, who was born and always 
resided in this state. 

In his youth D. P. Wooden learned the car- 
penter's trade and in 1862 he went to California, 
returning in about three years. Afterward he 
was engaged in carrying on a baker}' business 
at Morristown and Plainfield. It was in 1S75 
that he came to White House Station and for 
twenty years he was identified with the welfare 
of this vicinity. 

Mr. Wooden was a member of the Masonic 
fraternity and was also connected with the Im- 
proved Order of Red Men. In his political pref- 
erences he sided with the principles of the Democ- 
racy. Death claimed him when he was but fifty-five 
years of age, and then in a position to begin to 
take life more easily, as he had acquired a com- 
petence. His estate, which was willed to his 
wife, amounted to about $15,000. 

His marriage took place May 30, 1S71, the 
lady of his choice being Annie E. Pell, who was 
born and grew to womanhood in New Jersey, 
and possesses most lovable womanly qualities 
which endear her to all. Two children were 
born to this union, D- Edward and Nellie D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



427 



Mrs. Wooden is a daughter of William J. and 
Frances P. (Lockwood) Pell, natives of New 
York. She is next to the youngest of five sur- 
viving children, the others being Mariam Fran- 
ces, Charles and Mary E.; four of her brothers 
and sisters have departed this life. 



(3AMUEE H. WILSON. The personal popu- 
/\ larity of this sterling citizen of Aunandale, 
\~J Hunterdon County, was ampl}- shown when, 
in March, 1895, he was elected on the Republican 
ticket to the responsible position of freeholder. 
This, in a count}' which is strongly Democratic 
in tendency, indicates the high standing in which 
a candidate of the opposition must be held in 
order to score a victory. He has always been 
loyal to the interests of the Republican party and 
is an earnest worker in the ranks. 

Mr. Wilson is a son of Peter and Emma (Shep- 
ard) Wilson, and was born October 2, 1S49, in 
Pittstown, Hunterdon County. His father was 
a shoemaker by trade, and in his last years occu- 
pied himself in agricultural pursuits. For about 
a quarter of a century he was the postmaster at 
Rowlands' Mills, in this county, and in 1892 
removed to Clinton Township, where he now 
resides. His father, Joseph Wilson, lived for a 
great many years in Franklin Township, near 
the new stone church, and died on the farm that 
is now owned by his son William. Mrs. Emma 
Wilson was one of eight children coming from 
one of the representative old families of this 
county. Her brothers and sisters were as fol- 
lows: Samuel, now baggage-master on the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, his run being from Flemington 
to Eambertville, while his home is in the first- 
named place; William, station agent at Nesha- 
nock, for the New Jersey Central; John, a ma- 
chinist in Pottersville, Hunterdon County; Joseph 
T., deceased, formerly a practicing physician of 
Phillipsburg; Robert A., deceased, formerly a 



dentist in Newton; Ann, the wife of George L- 
Boss, a farmer of Union Township; and Margaret 
and Catherine, unmarried, and living in Flem- 
ington. 

The subject of this article is an only child, and 
was afforded excellent advantages in the way of 
an education. He remained under the parental 
roof until he was twenty years of age, when he 
began serving an apprenticeship to the painter's 
trade with William C. Ayers, of Plainfield, in 
whose employ he continued four years. Since 
that time he has made this business his chief occu- 
pation, and has been kept very busy in meeting 
the demands upon him in this neighborhood and 
in the towns of Clinton and Annandale. He has 
frequently been nominated for local positions, 
and has won the esteem of all who know him. 

April 19, 1872, Mr. Wilson was united in mar- 
riage with Elizabeth Shaffer, whose parents are 
Samuel and Jane (Apgar) Shaffer. The father 
was formerly in business in Allentown, N. J., 
and died in 1894. In the family of our subject 
there are five children: Emma, wife of Jacob P. 
Smith, a farmer in the vicinity of Hamden; 
William, who is a telegraph operator at Flax 
Mill, on the Lehigh Valley Railroad; Raymond, 
Carl and Stacy. 



->— »~ 



•♦>K<3 



(JOHN EILENBERG is a well-known citizen 
I of Phillipsburg. He was a member of the 
Q) city council for three terms or three years 
and was president of the board for eight succes- 
sive years. In political affairs he is greatly in- 
terested in the Democratic party's prosperity, and 
does all in his power to promote its success. 

Thirty years have passed away since our sub- 
ject became a resident of Phillipsburg for the first 
time, and he has made this place his home during 
the period mentioned, having settled here in 
1868. In June, 1SS2, he organized the No. 5 
Building and Loan Association of Phillipsburg, 



428 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and has since officiated as secretary of the com- 
pany. It has been prospered to a remarkable 
degree, and possesses the entire confidence of the 
public at large as a safe and reliable concern, ow- 
ing to the fact that only thoroughly practical, 
trustworthy men are in charge of the invest- 
ments. Mr. Eilenberg is also treasurer of the 
Phillipsburg Eight, Heat and Power Company. 
In May, 1881, he opened a wholesale wine and 
liquor store and still conducts the same. 

John Eilenberg is one of five children whose 
parents were Henry and Margaret (Keen) Eilen- 
berg. The father was of German descent, his 
ancestor having been one of two brothers who 
left their native city, Heidelberg, to found a 
home in the New World, and settled in Pennsyl- 
vania. John, father of Henry, was a soldier in 
the War of 18 12. Henry Eilenberg was a miller 
by trade, and also a millwright. He was a very 
honorable, upright man and was very kind and 
good to those less fortunate than himself. For 
years he was a justice of the peace. His death 
occurred in 1854 and his widow survived him 
thirty-three years, dying in 1887. Her father, 
George Keen, of Sussex County, N. J., was a 
well-to-do man, and was influential in his own 
community. The brother and sisters of our sub- 
ject are: Catherine, wife of Samuel Parsons, of 
Bangor, Pa.; James, of Newark, N. J.; Sarah, 
wife of George W. Hunt, of Newark; and Hannah 
M., also of that city. 

The birth of Mr. Eilenberg took place in Sus- 
sex County, N. J., December 5, 1840. He re- 
ceived good school advantages, and when about 
seventeen commenced learning the trade of a 
miller. Then, for three years he ran his grand- 
father's mill in his native village, but this busi- 
ness was not entirely to his taste, and he decided 
to try other enterprises. Having passed the re- 
quired examination, he was awarded a school, 
and for the next two years taught in the towns of 
Five Points and Middleville, Sussex County, N. 
J., and in Buttzville, Warren County. Not 
wishing to always remain a teacher, he learned 
telegraphy and was an operator at the station at 
Bridgeville, Warren County, for a time, also run- 



ning a country store. In April, 1S68, he came 
to Phillipsburg and was employed in railroading; 
later becoming a salesman in a clothing store 
in Easton, across the river. 

Our subject belongs to a number of the lead- 
ing lodges and fraternal organizations here. 
When the local lodge of the Independent Order 
of Elks was started he became one of the charter 
members, and was elected exalted ruler. He is 
treasurer of Delaware EodgeNo. 52, F. & A. M., 
and is a Knight Templar. He is also identified 
with the Knights of Pythias, Uniform Rank, and 
is a member of the Masonic Veterans' Associa- 
tion. 

March 7, 1867, Mr. Eilenberg married Barbara 
E. Eommasson, daughter of Lawrence Lommas- 
son, of this county. She is a member of the 
Presbyterian Church and is beloved and esteemed 
by all who know her. They are the parents of 
three sons: Samuel D., of Camden, N. J.; Henry 
M., a machinist; and John M., a student at the 
high school. 



••^-1 :-vQ>; •>:<•• 



3UDGE OCTAVIUS P. CHAMBERLAIN, 
of Fleming-ton, was born in Delaware Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County, N. J., in the 3'ear 
1832. His father, A. B. Chamberlain, who was 
one of nine brothers, was of New England stock, 
coming originally from the state of Vermont. He 
was a man of prominence in the community, 
holding the office of sheriff of the county in 1840, 
so that the traditions of the family may safely be 
said to have led the son in the direction of an in- 
terest in public and political affairs. 

Judge Chamberlain enjoyed the advantages of 
a liberal education, which was received at the 
University of Lewisburg, Pa. He then took up 
the study of law, reading with George A. Allen, 
Esq., and in due time was admitted to practice at 
the bar. For ten years he held the office of pros- 
ecutor of the pleas. In 1S91 he was appointed 




JOHN F. GRANDIN, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



43i 



by the governor of New Jersey law judge of 
the court of common pleas, an office which he 
still holds. 

In politics his affiliations are with the Demo- 
cratic party. In addition to the interest which 
he takes in political and legal affairs he has also 
found time to bestow upon educational matters, 
and under the old S3'stem for three years held the 
responsible position of superintendent of the 
schools of the town. Of more importance, how- 
ever, than these offices is the reputation which 
he enjoys among his fellow-citizens for honor and 
straightforwardness. 

Mr. Chamberlain has. been twice married, his 
first wife being Miss Mary Fisher, daughter of 
Joseph Fisher. 



(JOHN F. GRANDIN, M. D., for many years 
I a prominent physician and surgeon of Hun- 
Q) terdon County, was born on the old home- 
stead in Hamden, January 27, 182S, and is a son 
of John and Elizabeth (Reading) Grandin. He is 
of French ancestry, being descended from Daniel 
Grandin, who emigrated from France about 1725, 
and settled in Monmouth, N. J. His sons, John 
and Philip, later removed to Hunterdon County, 
where they purchased an estate of one thousand 
acres of land on the south branch of the Raritan, 
subsequently building a mill property at Hamden. 
The water right was originally granted in 1752 
and transferred to them in 1759. John married 
Abigail Lippincott, but died without issue. 
Philip, who was a fuller, dyer and miller, mar- 
ried Eleanor Forman. To them were born two 
sons and five daughters: John Forman Grandin, 
M. D., Philip, Mary, Jane, Abigail, Eleanor and 
Rachel. John Forman Grandin married Mary 
Newell, who was a first cousin of that gallant 
hero, Captain Lawrence, II. S. N., whose last 
words have been handed down to posterity 
through school books of recent years, "Don't 



give up the ship." Of this union six children 
were born. John, the father of our subject, was 
the fifth born, and married Elizabeth H. , daughter 
of Daniel Reading, ofFlemington, where for many 
years he resided on a farm, now known as the 
Fair Grounds. The family of Readings were de- 
scendants of Hon. John Reading,. once temporary 
governor of New Jersey, and, always prominent 
in the early history of the state. 

Our subject, John Forman Grandin, received 
his early education iu the public schools of his 
native place, and was later prepared for college by 
the late Rev. John Van Deveer, of Easton, Pa. 
Subsequently he entered Lafayette College, where 
he remained during the freshman and sophomore 
years and completed the junior and senior 3-ears 
at Union College, from which he was graduated 
in 1849. On completion of his collegiate course 
he embraced the study of medicine under Hon. 
John Manners, M. D., of Clinton, N. J., and re- 
ceived the degree of M. D., from the University 
of Pennsylvania in 1852. In Hamden he entered 
upon the practice of his profession, which he con- 
tinued until his death, in 1889. During the thirty 
years in which he practiced, his name became well 
known throughout the state, and he attained to a 
high position among the leading members of his 
profession. He was prominent in the community , 
where for four generations his family had resided, 
and although his large practice precluded his tak- 
ing an active part in political affairs, his opin- 
ions and influence were ever sought by leading 
men in political life. He was an aggressive and 
progressive American, every ready to assist with 
his time and means any enterprise tending to im- 
prove the commercial prosperity of the count}-, 
and during his lifetime was influential in the 
growth and development of the commercial, social 
and religious life of his section of New Jersey. 

In 18S0 he married Mrs. Julia F. Todd, widow 
of Dr. John R. Todd, a former successful practi- 
tioner of Lebanon, N. J. , and who served for three 
years as surgeon in the Civil war. Mrs. Grandin 
is a daughter of William and Phoebe (Matthews) 
Johnson, and granddaughter of John Matthews, 
during: his life the owner of a fine estate in 



43^ 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL. RECORD. 



Westchester Count}', N. Y., which later became 
the residence of Horace Greeley. Mrs. Grandin 
was born in New York City and removed with her 
parents when nine years of age to Round Valley, 
Hunterdon County. Her father was for man}' 
years engaged in mercantile business in the me- 
tropolis, but retired and passed his declining 
years in Round Valley. One child, a daughter 
Sarah, was born of her marriage with Dr. Todd, 
and she lives with her mother, having completed 
her education, which was acquired principally in 
the model school of Trenton, N. J. Of hermarriage 
with Dr. Grandin, one child was born, also a 
daughter, Elizabeth, who is at present attending 
Mrs. Dana's Female Seminary at Morristown, 
N.J. 

Since the death of Dr. Grandin many improve- 
ments have been made on the estate by his widow. 
The residence has been entirely remodeled and 
extensive grounds laid out, which have added 
greatly to the natural beauty of the site. Few 
possess a more delightful home, surrounded on all 
sides by exquisite glimpses of mountain scenery. 
Mrs. Grandin is prominently identified with 
social and religious affairs, while her charities are 
many and varied. 



QETER W. MELICK has been for over half 
L/' a century one of the most influential citizens 
K-) of Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, 
and lives upon the identical homestead where his 
father, grandfather and great-grandfather before 
him made their abode. This property has been 
in the possession of the family since 1740 or a 
few years later. The gentleman of whom we 
write has always done his share towards the sup- 
port of religion, education and the public good 
in general, and it would be hard, indeed, to 
worthily fill the place he has made for himself in 
the community and in the hearts of those who 
have known and loved him a life-time. 



One Tunis Melick emigrated from a district on 
the Rhine, in Germany, about 1740, being ac- 
companied by his sister. On their voyage to 
America one of their companions was Henry 
Miller, of the Fatherland, and to this man the 
sister was afterwards married and thus arose the 
Miller branch of the family in this county. Tunis 
Melick settled on land now owned by our subject, 
and engaged in its cultivation. He was a mill- 
wright by trade, and soon put up a mill on his 
laud, and later erected mills in various localities. 
For a number of years he resided on this place, 
but finally sold it to Dr. Barnett and removed to 
what is now known as the Welch farm. After a 
time he bought the place where our subject was 
born, and there passed the remainder of his days. 
The old mill which he had built on his original 
farm has been in constant operation since, and in 
1894 our subject put in a complete roller process, 
and all modern appliances, thus making it as good 
a one as is to be found anywhere. Tunis Me- 
lick married a Miss Van Horn, and their eldest 
child was Peter (grandfather of our subject) born 
December 4, 1758. A daughter Margaret mar- 
ried Dennis Wyckoff; Catherine became the wife 
of Menard Farley; Ann married Isaac Farley; 
Ellen married first Abraham Fleet and another 
daughter married a Mr. Fleet also. 

Peter Melick, the grandfather, spent the latter 
part of his life upon the old farm which came in- 
to his hands at the death of his father. He was 
a very successful business man and was fre- 
quently called upon to occupy public positions in 
his own neighborhood. He was an influential 
member of the Lutheran Church at New Ger- 
mantown, which his father, Tunis, had been very 
instrumental in organizing. Peter Melick mar- 
ried Susanna, daughter of Nicholas and Mary 
Egbert, February 27, 17S3. She was born 
March 3, 1763, and by her marriage became the 
mother of the following children: Tunis ,born 
March 15, 1784; Mary, April n, 1786; Nicholas, 
E., August iS, 17S8; Peter, January 2, 1791; 
Abram, April 7, 1793; James, March 21, 1795; 
John, February 7, 1797; Eleanor, September 1, 
1799 (married Andrew Van Sickel) ; Elizabeth, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



433 



November 20, 1801 (married Charles Williams) ; 
Susanna, December 28, 1803 (married Cornelius 
Minfort); and Catherine, October 22, 1807, died 
at the age of two years. 

The father of our subject was Tunis Melick, 
the eldest-born in the family just enumerated. 
His birthplace was on the farm adjoining the one 
where our subject was born. He was an ac- 
knowledged factor in local affairs when in his 
prime, and accumulated a valuable property. 
This land he bequeathed to his sons, leaving a 
large and well-improved farm to each, while to 
his daughter he willed $13,000. She was Su- 
sanna, wife of Jacob D. Trimmer, the son of David 
Trimmer, an old and respected citizen of this 
county. The sons who received the landed es- 
tate were Peter W. and Andrew V. The father 
was not an actual member of the Lutheran 
Church, but lent substantial support to the main- 
tenance of the same. His wife was Sarah, eldest 
daughter of Andrew and Magdalen (Dane) Van 
Sickel. 

The birth of Peter W. Melick of this sketch 
occurred on a farm near the village of New Ger- 
mantown, September 21, 1823. He took charge 
of the home farm upon coming of age, and car- 
ried it on until 1862 as a tenant. Upon the 
death of his father, October 15, 1862, the prop- 
erty became his in fact. However, it has been 
substantially under his control since 1844. This 
place comprises one hundred and eighty-seven 
acres, in addition to which he owns the farm ad- 
joining, one hundred and twenty -eight acres, the 
old homestead of two hundred acres and the Hill 
farm of one hundred and thirty acres, a total of 
nearly five hundred and fifty acres. He has 
been engaged in general farming, fruit culture 
and dairying, and for twenty -seven years has op- 
erated the old mill on his farm, doing the local 
work in this line. In 1862 he was one of the 
most aggressive promoters of the building of the 
new Methodist Episcopal Church in New Ger- 
mantowu, and drew the first stone upon the 
ground which he had purchased for the edifice. 
In company with two others he contributed 
$6,000 of the $9,000 which the church building 



cost, nor did his work end there, for he has gone 
on, giving most liberally of his means to religious 
enterprises. He has been an active member of 
the church for forty years, most of this time offi- 
ciating as trustee, steward or in some other ca- 
pacity. When he had reached his threescore 
and ten years he resigned in favor of younger 
and more ambitious members, believing, and 
truly, that he had done his share of active work 
in the congregation. He was for years surveyor 
of his township, committeeman, etc., and was 
once connected with the state militia. Origin- 
ally he was a Henry Clay Whig, and since the 
formation of the Republican party has been an 
enthusiastic supporter of the same. During the 
stormy days of the war he was thoroughly in 
sympathy with the Union, and was once threat- 
ened by a mob for his freely expressed sentiments. 
He has administered numerous estates, his fidel- 
ity and business ability being beyond ques- 
tion. At times he has invested large amounts 
in western land, in Illinois, Kansas and Ne- 
braska, and also owns property in Elizabeth, N. J. 



"2JEORGE M. COUCH, of Phillipsburg, has 
— a record that has rarely been equaled, as for 
»_J nearly forty years he has been an engineer, 
and ever since his eighteenth year he has been in 
continuous employment with one railroad corpor- 
ation — the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. 
In all the relations of life he has been very con- 
scientious and faithful, whether as a citizen, an 
employe, or as a husband and father. Politically 
he is strongly in favor of the principles of the 
Republican party, but has never been induced to 
accept any public office. 

George M. Couch is a native of Sandburg, Sul- 
livan County, N. Y., his birth having occurred 
near the town of Sandburg, June 11, 1839. His 
father, William Couch, was from Connecticut, 
and was a successful agriculturist. He belonged 



434 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



to the Society of Friends, and for sixteen years 
was a justice of the peace. He departed this 
life in 1856. His good wife, Nancy, was a daugh- 
ter of Samuel Adams, also of Connecticut. She 
died in 1887, at the ripe age of eighty-nine years. 
Of their five children only two are now living. 
Harriet is the wife of Judson Boyce, of Phillips- 
port, N. Y. 

As was common in the days of his youth, 
George M. Couch, as a farmer's boy, received 
such education as he could obtain in the district 
schools during the winter terms. He had no 
special liking for rural pursuits, and when eight- 
een he left home, soon securing a place as a 
brakeman on the Delaware, Lackawanna & West- 
ern. At this time he was running on a passen- 
ger train between Phillipsburg and Great Bend, 
on the Scranton Division. At the expiration of 
ten months' work as a brakeman he became a 
fireman on a locomotive, and a year and ten 
months later he was promoted to be engineer. 
He has been quite fortunate, never having been 
discharged from the service even temporarily (as 
is often done) and never having had any serious 
accident laid to his charge in the almost two- 
score years that he has been an engineer. 

For the past eleven years Mr. Couch has been 
a director in the Phillipsburg Building and Loan 
Association No. 4. He owns considerable prop- 
erty in this town and is well-to-do. He belongs 
to Division No. 30, Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers, being the treasurer of the same, and 
also secretary of the insurance department of the 
order. In January, 1866, Mr. Couch married 
Miss Cornelia Apgar, a daughter of Jonathan 
Apgar, of Scranton. She is a lad}' of excel- 
lent education and attainments, and at the time 
of her marriage was a teacher in the Phillips- 
burg high school, as she had been for sev- 
eral years with marked success. Mr. and Mrs. 
Couch have one child, Howard N., a bright 
lad of eleven years. 

The Couch family is descended from a long 
line of English ancestry, some of whom settled in 
New England long prior to the Revolutionary 
war. About twelve years ago Mr. Couch erect- 



ed his comfortable and handsome residence on 
the hill on Washington street. It commands a 
magnificent view, overlooking the Delaware and 
Lehigh rivers and the adjoining city of Easton. 



HON. ISAAC WILDRICK, late of Warren 
County, was for many years one of the most 
influential citizens of this portion of the 
state. He was born in Marksboro, N. J., March 
3, 1803, and was a son of George and Katherine 
(Ervey) Wildrick, also natives of Warren 
County. On both sides of the family the ances- 
try was of German origin. Man)' years prior to 
the Revolution the Wildricks emigrated from the 
province of Bavaria to New Jersey, where they 
became agriculturists; and, a hardy and industri- 
ous race, the)' contributed to the development ot 
the resources of the state, where they were noted 
for their sterling qualities. Michael, a brother 
of George, was a soldier in the continental army 
during the war with England. 

The twin brother of our subject was Hon. 
Abram Wildrick, a member of the assembly of 
New Jersey in 1843-45 and a state senator in 
1867-69. By his second wife, Charity Larrison, 
he had two daughters and one son who attained 
years of maturity. The older daughter, Isabella, 
is the wife of Hon. George B. Swain, present 
state treasurer of New Jersey and a distinguished 
Republican; the younger daughter, Emma, mar- 
ried John Van Dorn, late of Washington, now 
deceased, and she now makes her home with her 
sister, Mrs. Swain. 

In the district schools the subject of this re- 
view obtained his education. At an earl}' age he 
started out in life for himself, and in time be- 
came a large farmer and land owner, also exten- 
sively engaged in business as a drover and buyer 
and seller of live stock, and in connection with 
his twin brother, Abram, and James Blair and 
Israel Swayze (long before the days of railroads) 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



435 



did a large business in handling and driving cat- 
tle from Indiana and Ohio to the New York, 
eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey 
markets. In that business he laid the foundation 
of his wealth. His political history would fill a 
volume. It is said that he filled every elective 
office in the state except that of governor. He 
began as a constable in 1827 and held success- 
fully the offices of deputy sheriff, sheriff, justice of 
the peace, chosen freeholder, director of the alms- 
house, assemblyman and member of the United 
States house of representatives. After having 
served as deputy, in 1839 he was elected sheriff on 
the Democratic ticket, and filled the office for one 
term, after which he returned to his farm. How- 
ever, being what might be termed a natural poli- 
tician, he soon gravitated back into public life. 
In 1848 he was nominated and elected to con- 
gress, and was again elected in 1850, serving for 
two terms. He voted for the compromise meas- 
ure of 1850 and heard the great debates in the 
senate, in which those intellectual giants, Clay, 
Webster and Calhoun, were participants. He be- 
came a stanch supporter of Stephen A. Douglas 
and the latter' s well-known plan of popular sov- 
ereignty. On the culmination of the war he sup- 
ported the Union cause and was indefatigable in 
his efforts to raise volunteers to supply the New 
Jersey quota, doing all within his power to up- 
hold the government and Mr. Lincoln in the 
great contest for the life of the nation. After- 
ward for many years his attention was devoted to 
his landed and other private interests, but when 
he had reached the advanced age of eighty years 
he was called by his friends and neighbors from 
his retirement to serve them as a member of the 
assembly of New Jersey, at a critical time in the 
legislative annals of the state. After having 
faithfully performed his duties he again retired 
to private life. He died at his home in Warren 
County, March 22, 1892, leaving behind him, to 
be cherished by his posterity, the memory of an 
illustrious career that not only brought him per- 
sonal success, but also promoted the prosperity of 
his fellow -citizens. 

In 1832 Mr. Wildrick married Miss Nancy, 



daughter of John and Mary (Fisher) Cummins, 
an estimable lady, who passed from earth early 
in the '50s. They were the parents of four sons 
and four daughters, of whom three daughters 
and one son survive. The eldest daughter, Hen- 
rietta L-, is the wife of Rev. David K. Freeman, 
a Presbyterian minister of Huntingdon, Pa.; 
Anna A., who is unmarried, makes her home 
with her younger sister; and Huldah is the wife 
of Maj. Carl Leutz, a prominent lawyer and 
leading Republican of Newark, N. J. 

While Mr. Wildrick was a member of congress, 
his sou, Abram C, was appointed a cadet at 
West Point. This gentleman was born in Blairs- 
town, N. J., August 5, 1836, and graduated from 
the United States military academy in 1857. He 
served in Johnston's Utah campaign against the 
Mormons in 1858 and the following year crossed 
to the Pacific coast from Utah Territory with the 
second expedition that ever crossed there. When 
twenty-two years of age he served in the San 
Juan trouble between Great Britain and the 
United States and was in command of a light 
battery. When the war of 1861 broke out he was 
sent to Fort Vancouver to take charge of the ar- 
senal there and all depots. While there the gov- 
ernor of New Jersey telegraphed, offering him the 
colonelcy of the First New Jersey Volunteers. 
General Wright, then in command on the Pacific, 
protested against his leaving the Pacific coast 
when secession sentiments were rampant. In 
fact, many of the prominent newspapers were out 
with flaring headlines demanding the formation 
of a separate Pacific republic. The following 
year he accepted the colonelcy of the Fifteenth 
United States Volunteers. He made strenuous 
efforts to go to the front, but was again refused 
permission by General Wright. General Mc- 
pherson applied for him to serve as aide-de-camp 
on his staff, but again came disappointment. 
Then he was offered the colonelcy of the Thirty- 
ninth New Jersey and finally he was allowed to 
go. He led his regiment in the first successful 
assault on Fort Mahone in front of Petersburg, 
April 2, 1865, and in leading the forlorn hope 
was the first man over the works in that bloody 



436 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



charge. He received the brevet of brigadier- 
general for his gallantry on that day. April 3-9, 
1865, he served in the pursuit of the Confederate 
army under General Lee and was at the capitula- 
tion at Appomattox Court House, April 9. Gen- 
eral Meade, "the hero of Gettysburg," thought 
highly of Colonel Wildrick and after the war 
made him aide-de-camp on his staff. From cap- 
tain of artillery, United States Regulars, in 1867, 
he rose through the successive grades to lieuten- 
ant-colonel. He was a soldier of the old school, 
a model commanding officer wherever he went, 
and the enlisted men and officers serving under 
him honored and loved him. He participated in 
many hard-fought engagements during the war, 
in all of which his valor was unquestioned. Af- 
ter the war he commanded at Fort Independence, 
Boston Harbor, and subsequently was at Forts 
Schuyler and Wadsworth, New York harbor. 
By his marriage to Marion White, of Boston, he 
had four sons, all now living. The oldest son is 
engaged in business in Chicago, two are being 
educated at Blair Hall, Blairstown, and one is at 
Hartford, Conn. Colonel Wildrick died No- 
vember 16, 1894, and was buried at West 
Point, his regiment (the Thirty-ninth New Jer- 
sey) erecting a beautiful monument to his mem- 
ory. In 1896 his wife died and was buried be- 
side him. 

Another son of our subject. Col. John A. Wild- 
rick, was educated at Blair Hall. When the 
Civil war broke out he was in mercantile business 
at Newton, N. J. He at once raised a company 
and was commissioned first lieutenant of the Sus- 
sex Rifles by Governor Olden, May 3, 1861. 
May 27, 1 86 1, he was mustered into the United 
States service with the rank of first lieutenant of 
Company B, Second Regiment New Jersey Vol- 
unteers. Going to the front, he took part in the 
first battle of Bull Run. On the reorganization 
of the army under McClellan, the second regi- 
ment became a part of General Kearney's First 
New Jersey Brigade. Colonel Wildrick bore an 
honorable part in all the campaigns in which the 
brigade participated and for meritorious service 
was made captain, then lieutenant-colonel. He 



was placed in command of the Twenty-eighth 
New Jersey Regiment before the battle of Chan- 
cellorsville, in which he commanded his regi- 
ment. In this engagement he was taken prisoner 
and confined in Libby Prison, but was regularly 
exchanged after thirty-two days and again as- 
sumed command of his regiment. After his 
term of service expired he was mustered out with 
his regiment. Returning to Newton he engaged 
again in business. About 1872 he returned to 
the old homestead in Warren Count}*, having 
previously spent several years in Arkansas. In 
1890 he was elected count)- clerk of the courts of 
Warren County, as the candidate of the Demo- 
cratic party, and served his term of five years. 
He has never married. 



-~ S <v2-"}-;(v);-;«-£<» « — '- 



(ILLIAM W. WOODEN is the genial and 
popular proprietor of the Union Hotel of 
Califou, Hunterdon County. In 1892 he 
bought this property, which at that time was un- 
profitable. He did not spare money in remodel- 
ing and refurnishing it, and has won the patron- 
age of an excellent class of the traveling public. 
His wife is his able assistant, as she supervises 
the care of all portions of the hotel, giving her 
personal attention to the dining room and 
kitchen. In fact, the good taste she exercises in 
having food properly cooked and served goes far 
toward making the hotel as popular as it is to- 
day, for many of its patrons are regular custom- 
ers, who will go out of their way- in order to stay- 
a short time in this well-kept hostelry. 

The family of which our subject is a worthy 
representative have been inhabitants of New Jer- 
sey for a number of generations, and originated 
in England. His great-great-grandfather, Gid- 
eon, was born in Plainfield, N. J., in 1725, and 
both he and his son Gideon, Jr., were farmers on 
the same homestead. Gideon, of the third gen- 
eration, and grandfather of our subject, was a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



437 



minister in the Seventh-day Baptist Church, and 
was also occupied in agricultural pursuits. He 
had the following children: Phoebe, Rachel, Jane, 
Susan, Maria and Martin Ezra. The last-men- 
tioned, born December 26, 1808, on the old home- 
stead near Plainfield which had been handed down 
from one generation to the next, followed in the 
footsteps of his ancestors in the choice of an occu- 
pation. His father bought him a farm, which he 
proceeded to cultivate for some twelve years. He 
then removed to Plainfield, and there engaged in 
the lumber business during the remainder of his 
life. January 9, 1830, he married Ann D. Ken- 
dall, by whom he had eight children, viz.: Eliza- 
beth, deceased wife of Cornelius Vermuele, a 
baker in Newark; Sarah, widow of Hugh R. 
Townsend; William W. ; Maria, deceased wife 
of B. D. Beanon; Ludlow P., deceased, formerly 
in the hotel business in White House, N. J. ; 
Susan A., deceased; Martin E., of Brooklyn; and 
Margaret C, who married Isaac Bradley, of New- 
ark. 

W. W. Wooden is a native of Somerset County, 
his birth having occurred February 28, 1836. 
When he was but twelve years of age he com- 
menced learning the baker's trade in Plainfield, 
and followed that calling until he was eighteen. 
He was then such a victim of the prevailing gold 
craze that he embarked on the good ship Flying 
Cloud, and took a voyage around Cape Horn, 
being six months and six days on the trip. He 
prospected and worked in the mines of California 
for about fourteen years, in the meantime mak- 
ing two trips home, once by the Panama route 
and once by the Nicaragua canal. His experi- 
ences during this portion of his history are replete 
with interest, but would fill a book by itself. He 
was sometimes fortunate, and, perhaps more often 
unfortunate in his ventures, and he had to en- 
dure a great many hardships and trials of which 
he had little dreamed when in his comfortable 
home in the east. He came to the final conclus- 
ion that Lady Fortune was a most fickle goddess 
and that she was more easily wooed and quite as 
surely in a more civilized country. In 1866 he 
returned to Plainfield and went into the bakery 



business, devoting himself to this line for over a 
quarter of a century. For the past six years, as 
stated at the beginning of this sketch, he has been 
in the hotel business in Califon. 

In his political preferences Mr. Wooden is a 
Democrat, as was his father before him. He be- 
longs to Enterprise Lodge No. 1019, Knights of 
Honor of Newark, and when in Columbia, Cal., 
was identified with Tuolumne Lodge No. 21, I. 
O. O. F. He is not a member of a church, but is 
a contributor to the support of the Methodist 
Church of Califon. April 22, 1875, Mr. Wooden 
married Louisa, daughter of Jacob Van Winkle, 
of New York City. Four children blessed their 
union, but only one of the number survives, viz., 
William H, who is engaged with his father. 



30HN C. BERGNER. The history of this 
well-known and highly respected citizen of 
Clinton, Hunterdon County, is a story of 
struggle and victory, of repeated discouragements 
and battles won, of brave, persevering endeavor 
which should succeed and has in this case. Not 
often does it fall to the lot of a genius, a man of 
undoubted talent, in .this day, to be obliged to 
endure such hardships, privations and lowly toil 
as came to his share in his early manhood, in 
this, then strange land, to him. Yet, after all, 
similar to his narrative, in general, has been the 
fate of numerous of the great ones of earth — their 
youth and prime too, perhaps, being given up to 
labor of a most distasteful sort, when the won- 
derful genius burning within them was tortured 
for want of expression. 

Born on his father's farm in Saxe-Coburg, Ger- 
many, February 20, 1820, John C. Berguer there 
was reared to maturity, receiving practical in- 
struction in everything pertaining to agriculture. 
His father, Nicholas, was enough of a musician 
to early recognize the fact that his son John pos- 
sessed unusual talent, and when the boy was but 



43« 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



eleven years of age the wise parent put him un- 
der able teachers. The lad studied music with 
five of the best instructors that could be found 
in the vicinity of their home, and mastered a 
great variety of musical instruments. He be- 
came a member of a band when quite young 
and at twenty-four began a four years' service 
in the military band. Then up to 1854 he 
taught and played at entertainments, his repu- 
tation constantly growing, and his talents grad- 
ually developing. 

A step was now taken by him which seemed 
for some years to have been of a very disas- 
trous nature; he left home and friends, yielding 
to the glowing pictures of a friend in his delin- 
eation of the advantages to the New World, and 
sail from Bremen for New York in the United 
States steamer Hermann, Captain Higgins. 
He landed at his destination September 29, 1854, 
and burdened by the great disadvantage of for- 
eign speech, had difficulty in obtaining a footing 
in a musical way. After several more or less 
unsuccessful attempts, he and a friend answered 
an advertisement for wood-choppers in Asbury, 
Hunterdon County, as their funds were getting 
so low that they would necessarily have to be re- 
plenished. After working four days at this labor- 
ious enterprise our hero became discouraged and 
returned to New York to make another desperate 
attempt to earn his livelihood in the manner that 
he had been accustomed to, but the result was the 
same as before. Knowing of no alternative, he 
went back to wood-chopping and bravely fought 
his battle all winter. He was to receive from 
four shillings and sixpence to five shillings per 
cord; and when the fifty-odd cords were meas- 
ured, he was given the munificent amount of for- 
ty-eight dollars and four shillings. He, of course 
had been given his board, such as it was, in the 
meantime. He next hired out as a teamster, 
hauling the wood to Bloomsbury for shipment, 
and during the year that he was thus employed 
saved $105. He changed employers then, and 
the following year had about the same sum saved 
from his earnings. With the little capital he pos- 
sessed he bought the horses and wagon, going 



in debt $100, for the price asked was $300. All 
this time his relatives and friends in the Father- 
land had been constantly urging him to return, 
but his pride was roused and he would not ac- 
knowledge his defeat, so remained, bravely mak- 
ing the best of circumstances. At the end of 
three years spent in teaming he sold his outfit for 
$250, and, in company with a friend, bought an 
eight-acre tract of woodland. They cut down 
the timber, selling it to the railroad company. 

All this time our friend's musical talent had 
been "buried in a napkin," for he had kept the 
fact carefully to himself, and onty solaced some 
of his lonely hours at night with a simple flute or 
like instrument. At last, however, some story of 
his skill came to the ears of Dr. John Blaine, ma- 
jor-general of the United States army, who lived 
at Perryville, and he sought out our humble hero, 
insisting that he should give his two daughters 
and a niece lessons. Mr. Bergner spoke English 
brokenly, his hands were rough and hard with 
toil, and his heart misgave him. At first he re- 
fused the doctor's request, but at last yielded to 
his persistence, and one day set forth to win new 
laurels for himself. The struggle with his pride 
and ambition, his hopes and fears, was a dread- 
ful one, and once he almost turned back, but 
' 'the tide that taken at the flood leads on to for- 
tune " was drifting him onward, and this day 
proved the turning-point in his life. Success was 
soon his, pupils came unasked, and he had all 
that he could well do to meet with the demands 
upon his time. A little later he began to give 
concerts and entertainments, and thus his public 
career opened out before him. He had assistant 
teachers when he had more pupils than he could 
personally teach, and in 1864 he organized the 
Clinton Band, remaining at its head five years, 
when he resigned on account of the pressure of 
other duties. 

February 16, 1865, Mr. Bergner married Ger- 
trude Corson, who was born in Belvidere, War- 
ren County, N. J., October 30, 1S32. Her par- 
ents were Jacob and Anna (Hoffman) Corson. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bergner had two children, Eliza- 
beth, who died in 1867; and Edgar J. The last- 




J. G. SHIPMAN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



441 



mentioned is the proprietor of the Imperial 
Bazaar in Clinton and is a young man of good 
business ability. He was given a liberal educa- 
tion, and inherited no small degree of musical 
ability. His commercial career was begun as a 
clerk in the Jersey City terminal office of the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad. He married Ella, 
daughter of J. Edgar Kline, of Clinton, and has 
a pretty home. Mr. Bergner owed two very 
comfortable and attractive residences here, his 
home being on Leigh street. He was a Demo- 
crat in politics, and religiously was a Lutheran, 
but attended the local Presbyterian Church. 
His wife departed this life June 1, 1895, and was 
interred in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Clinton. 
He survived her a few years and passed away 
April 29, 1898. 



3EHIAL G. SHIPMAN. This is a name that 
has been known throughout the state of 
New Jersey and, indeed, in many other parts 
of the country during much of the century now 
drawing to a close. It is a name intimately as- 
sociated with the annals of the legal profes- 
sion in Warren, his native county, a name 
that recalls to the memory of dozens of pro- 
gressive lawyers in various regions of America 
the kind and skillful guidance that its posses- 
sor gave to them when they were young and 
aspiring, but doubting and often discouraged 
students of the great principles of law. For two 
generations the young man who had determined 
to enter the ranks of this profession, were he a 
resident of this community, felt himself truly 
fortunate could he obtain permission to study 
under the direction of Mr. Shipman, and in later 
years -would point to this fact with pride. 

The Shipmans are of Norman descent, and the 
founder of the family was knighted by Henry 
III. of England, in 1258. Edward Shipman, 
from whom the' American branch is descended, 



was a refugee from religious persecution, and, 
casting in his lot with the colonists in Maybrook, 
Conn., he settled therein 1635. The grandfather 
of our subject was one of the original settlers of 
Morristown, N. J., and two of his sons served 
with credit in the war of the Revolution. 

On the farm owned by his father, David Ship- 
man, a leading citizen of Warren County, the 
subject of this sketch was born October 3, 1818. 
He passed his childhood years on the homestead 
near the town of Hope. For a time he was a 
student in Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., then 
under the presidency of Dr. George Junkin. In 
1842 he graduated from Union College, New 
York, at the time when Dr. EHphalet Nott was 
president of the institution, and among his class- 
mates were Clarksou A. Potter and W. A. Beach. 
Before leaving college he began the study of law 
and subsequently entered the office of William 
C. Morris, of Belvidere. Having been admitted 
to the bar in 1844, he rapidly rose to a place of 
prominence in his profession, and gained an as- 
sured patronage. 

The first case in which he appeared was the 
trial of Carter and Parks, who were under an in- 
dictment for murder. Great interest was felt in 
the case throughout this and adjoining states, 
and, as he was retained as counsel for the state, 
and it fell to his lot to make the opening argu- 
ment for the prosecution and he met the op- 
portunity with a most powerful speech, his fame 
as an advocate was at once an assured fact. He 
was engaged in many very important cases. In 
the New Jersey Law and Equity Reports his 
name appears again and again as counsel in most 
of the notable cases of this order for a long period 
of years. His practice in the criminal courts was 
nearly or quite as extensive and varied. 

In i860 Mr. Shipman and the late Judge Brad- 
ley (afterward member of the supreme court of 
the United States) were engaged in the defense of 
the Rev. J. S. Hardin, a Methodist minister, who 
was convicted and hanged for the murder of his 
wife. He was also interested in the famous trials 
of the Warren County officials, which created 
much interest and consternation in some circles 



18 



442 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a few years ago, as the defendants were found 
guilty and sent to the penitentiary for fraud and 
embezzlement. Many important corporations re- 
tained him as their counsel, among these the 
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the New 
York, Susquehanna & Western, and the Lehigh 
& Hudson River Railroad. When the Warren 
branch of the first-named company was organized 
he was very active in it, and was a life-long di- 
rector of the enterprise. For years he was 
a director of the Belvidere National Bank and 
a trustee of Lafayette College. In 1878 he was 
appointed one of the advisory masters of the 
court of chancery of New Jersey, by Chancellor 
Runyon, and numerous important cases were 
heard by him while sitting in the place of the 
gentleman mentioned. 

Though an earnest and forcible champion of 
the principles of the Republican party, both in 
private conversation and on the platform as well, 
he would never allow his name to appear as a 
candidate for public honors, notwithstanding the 
fact that he was often urged to withdraw his ob- 
jections, and was even spoken of as candidate for 
governor of the state. From 1853 until the close 
of his busy and useful life he was a consistent 
member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bel- 
videre, and for some years was a ruling elder in 
the congregation. In 1847 he married Mary 
Louisa, daughter of William C. Morris. His 
death took place in Belvidere December 10, 1892. 
He is survived by his widow and three children : a 
sou George M. , whose sketch may be found in 
this volume; and two daughters, Anna M., wife of 
Joseph H. Wilson, attoruey-at-law; and Mary, 
who married William C. Albertsou, all of Belvi- 
dere. 



3AHILE T. PIILDEBRANT, who is now 
serving his second term as a justice of the 
peace in Hackettstown, Warren County, is 
one of the representative citizens of this count}'. 
Formerly he was one of the most aggressive and 



enterprising of our business men and at all times 
he has been thoroughly identified with the wel- 
fare and development of this region. By unflag- 
ging industry and strict attention to his business 
in every detail, he acquired a competence sufficient 
for his declining years and is now entitled to rest 
and comfort after the toil and burden which he 
uncomplainingly bore in manhood's prime. 

As the surname of our subject implies, he is of 
German ancestry on the paternal side. Family 
tradition states that three brothers of Germany 
came to America at a remote date, taking up 
their abode in New Jersey. Grandfather Conrad 
Hildebraut was born in Hunterdon County, as is 
believed, and certainly lived there on a farm for 
years in the beginning of this century. The 
father of our subject, John C, was born in Hun- 
terdon County, and spent the best years of his 
life on a farm of his own in Hope Township, 
Warren County. There he died when but fifty- 
four years of age. In his political standing he 
was a Whig. His wife, who was Mary C. 
Swayze in her girlhood, which was passed in this 
county, the county of her birth, survived him 
several years, dying when about seventy-five. 
They were both members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and enjoyed the respect and love 
of all who knew them. Of their large family 
they reared ten children to be useful citizens in 
their several communities. William S., the 
eldest, died when sixty-seven years of age; Con- 
rad S. died at forty-three years; Catherine is the 
wife of James Brans, a farmer of this county; 
John A. is a farmer of Luzerne County, Pa.; 
Freeman B. is engaged in agricultural pursuits 
in this county; Stewart B. died at the age of 
sixty years; Daniel I. is a farmer of Hope Town- 
ship, Warren County; as is also James F., twin 
brother of our subject; and Isaiah B. is also a 
farmer of this county. 

Jahile T. Hildebrant was born May 26, 1837, m 
Hope Township, Warren County, and remained 
at home giving his assistance to his mother in 
the management of the old homestead until he 
was twenty-six years old. He then married and 
started out upon his own independent career. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



44; 



Renting a farm in his home district for a period, 
he then purchased a good tract of land in Hope 
Township, and cultivated and improved the place 
during his ten years' occupancy of the same. 
In 1873 he came to Hackettstown, and for some 
three years was engaged in buying and selling 
live-stock, after which he opened a store which 
he carried on successful^ for ten years iti connec- 
tion with the stock business. Then selling out 
his interest in the business, he has since devoted 
his time to looking after his farm and other 
investments, and has time at last for reading and 
self-improvement. Following in the political 
principles of his father, he was formerly a Whig, 
and after the organization of the Republican 
party, became identified with that great body. 
He has never sought public office, but has some- 
times been induced to accept minor positions for 
the welfare of his fellow-citizens, such as that of 
freeholder, which place he occupied two years. 

The sharer of his joys and sorrows was, in her 
maidenhood, Miss Elizabeth A. Gibbs. She was 
born in Hope Township and their marriage was 
solemnized December 27, 1862. They are both 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Mr. Hildebrant was very influential in the build- 
ing of the new church structure here and has been 
a steward, trustee, etc., in the congregation. 



HON. PETER VOORHEES. Numbered 
among the most prominent citizens of Hun- 
terdon County is the worthy subject of this 
article. He has served his neighbors, friends 
and associates in many public positions of trust 
and responsibility, at all times having discharged 
every duty devolving upon him with the utmost 
fidelity. In 1865 and 1866 he was a freeholder 
of Readiugton Township. In the fall of 1869 he 
was elected to the New Jersey legislature on the 
Democratic ticket and acted in that capacity for 
two years. In 1877 he was again chosen to be a 



freeholder of this township, and in 1S82 was once 
more elected a freeholder. In 1883 he was elect- 
ed clerk of Hunterdon Count)', and as such 
served for five years to the satisfaction of all con- 
cerned. 

A native of this county, Mr. Voorhees was 
born March 23, 1832. He is a son of Abram L,. 
and Catherine (Rockafeller) Voorhees, who were 
both likewise natives of this county. On both 
sides of the family his grandparents were past 
eighty years old at the time of death. Abram 
Voorhees was a fanner in early life and for twenty 
years was station agent at White House for the 
Central Railroad of New Jersey. He died in 
1878. He was a son of Eucas Voorhees, also a 
native of this county and of Holland descent. 
Of the children born to Abram and Catherine 
Voorhees Lucas A. is a resident of Potterstown, 
N. J.; Henry is in Cass County, Iowa; Jacob is 
in Oklahoma; Ann is the wife of E. W. Dufford, 
of Atlantic, Iowa; Sarah C. is the wife of Dr. 
Rood, of San Diego, Cal. ; Rebecca married 
Charles F. Skillman, of White House, N. J. 

Peter Voorhees was reared to manhood in 
Hunterdon County, being educated in her public 
schools. During much of each year, however, 
he worked with his father on the farm and was 
also employed in a store in the vicinity. His 
first experience was about 1844, when he became 
a clerk for Peter Davis, of White House, and with 
him he continued for some eight years. Here he 
learned all of the details pertaining to the man- 
agement of a store, and when he reached his ma- 
jority he embarked in business for himself. Dur- 
ing the next thirteen years he successfully con- 
ducted his store at White House, thus complet- 
ing twenty-one years of enterprise in the com- 
mercial field of activity. Of late years he has 
dealt extensively in real estate and other invest- 
ments. He has been largely instrumental in the 
upbuilding of White House Station, and owing 
to the great interest he has always maintained in 
the improvement of the place, is entitled to be 
called one of its foremost founders. 

In 1854 Mr. Voorhees married Hannah E. 
Huffman, daughter of David T. Huffman, of 



444 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Lebanon, N. J. To their union eight children 
were born: David T.; Luella, wife of James E. 
Bruce, an attorney of Cass Count}', Iowa; John 
C. , of the same county, and occupied in running 
a hardware store and interested in a banking bus- 
iness; Kate, wife of Joseph Clark; Dumout, 
Charles, Peter and Edna. 



••>:#»:<i- •+- 



(JOHN C. PERDOE was appointed superin- 
I tendent of the Phillipsburg Cemetery in 1891 
(2/ and has since served in that capacity. He is 
an example of what may be accomplished by a 
poor boy in America, one who is early obliged to 
earn his own livelihood. He was born in Greens- 
bridge, Warren Count)', N. J., August 5, 1848, 
and was but fifteen years old when he was em- 
ployed on a canal boat operated by his brother. 
He has often remarked that his main chance for 
au education was the perusal of a book or news- 
paper as he drove the mules that drew the canal- 
boat. He was employed in that capacity about 
three years. 

The Perdoe family to which our subject belongs 
is of French origin. His father, William, was a 
native of America, though the latter' s parents were 
born in France. He was reared in Hunterdon 
County, N. J., where the family had settled after 
their arrival in this country. His occupation in 
life was that of farming, and success attended his 
efforts in a fair measure. He was a man of up- 
rightness and integrity of character and his name 
was above reproach among his neighbors. He 
died in 1880, and was survived but nine years by 
his devoted wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- 
beth Hartzell. They were the parents of eight 
children, of whom the subject of this article was 
the youngest. 

In 1867 Mr. Perdoe was employed by the New 
Jersey Central Railroad. He remained with that 
corporation for a quarter of a century, always 
faithful to his duties and thoroughly reliable. 



For some time prior to his leaving this compan}' 
he had been one of their conductors. He has 
long been a very strong Republican partisan and 
is a popular man in this community. In 1883 
he was elected freeholder of this county, and was 
later re-elected, serving for five years as such. In 
1894 he was elected mayor of Phillipsburg, and 
in the year following was nominated by his 
Republican friends for the same office, and was 
endorsed by all other parties, and, in fact, 110 
other candidate appeared in opposition to him. 
This is the more remarkable when it is known 
that this is a stronghold of the Democratic party, 
and this gives proof of the high regard in which 
he is held by all. In the fall of 1897 he was a 
candidate for the state legislature, but was de- 
feated by the Democratic nominee. He is a 
member of the board of health of this city. 

November 8, 1877, Mr. Perdoe married Carrie, 
daughter of I. B. Condit, who was a justice of the 
peace in Morristown, N. J., for thirty years. 
The one daughter and two sons of our subject 
and his estimable wife are named in the order of 
their births, V. Rae, William and Clarence. The 
children were educated in the public schools. Mr. 
Perdoe and his wife are members of the First 
Presbyterian Church of Phillipsburg. 



3ACOB J. ALDER, a well-known citizen of 
Franklin Township, Hunterdon Count}', is a 
native of this locality, his birth having oc- 
curred in 1S46. He is of good old Holland- 
Dutch stock, and has inherited the traits of 
honesty, sobriety and general uprightness for 
which they, as a people, are noted. However, 
his ancestors have been identified for several 
generations with the history of this state, and 
have been numbered among its most reliable 
citizens. 

Cornelius Aller, father of the gentleman whose 
name heads this article, has been a life-long 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



445 



agriculturist and owns the place known as the 
Aller farm, on the banks of the Raritan River. 
He was born and reared and has passed his 
whole life in this county and is held in very 
high esteem by all who know him. Though 
seventy-six years of age he still enjoys good 
health, while his mind is as clear and active as it 
was when he was in the prime of his manhood. 
Formerly he took quite an active part in local 
affairs, and was always to be found actively upon 
the side of progress and improvement. He is an 
adherent of the Democratic party, and has acted 
in the capacity of committeeman, and in other 
minor positions. His father, Henry, was born in 
this county, and passed all of his days within its 
boundaries. He, in turn, was a son of Peter 
f Aller, who was the founder of the family in New 
Jersey. He was a native of Holland, and settled 
in this county in the early days of its history. 
The wife of Cornelius Aller bore the maiden 
name of Elizabeth Johnson, she being a daugh- 
ter of Jacob M. Johnson. By her marriage with 
Mr. Aller she became the mother of three chil- 
dren, of whom Jacob J. is the eldest. Mary E. 
is the wife of Oliver Cramer. Henry E. is a res- 
ident of the town of Clinton. The mother died 
when fifty-six years of age, and afterward Mr. 
Aller married Harriet (Smith) Snyder. 

Jacob J. Aller was reared to maturity upon the 
old family homestead, and was early initiated in- 
to the duties of an agriculturist. He became a 
practical farmer and general business man, and 
for several years after reaching his majority he 
carried on the farm belonging to his father. In 
1892 he went to Trenton, and for the succeeding 
three years was employed as a conductor on the 
railroad, but with this exception he has devoted 
his energies solely to farming operations. Fol- 
lowing his father's example, he holds to the doc- 
trines of the Democratic part}' and has officiated 
in severaLlocal positions of trust and honor. In 
a social way he is connected with the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows as a member, and his 
family are all identified with the Presbyterian 
Church. In 1S69 he was united in marriage with 
Susan W. Gulick, a daughter of George Gulick. 



She died in 1S92, leaving three children, two 
sons and a daughter, viz.: Cornelius A., a drug- 
gist of Morristown, N. J.; George G., of Tren- 
ton, N. J., and Alice A. 



pGJlLXIAM D. EVERSOLE, who for four 
\ A/ y ears was the efficient and popular clerk of 
V V Readington Township, Hunterdon Count}', 
is an honored citizen of that locality, where be 
has spent his whole life. He owns and cultivates 
a valuable farm of one hundred and thirty-nine 
acres, and by industry, energy and the exercise 
of all executive talents with which nature liber- 
ally endowed him he has become quite well-off in 
this world's goods. 

Born December 23, 1827, W. D. Eversole is a 
son of John and Mary B. (Bogart) Eversole, both 
of whom were natives of Hunterdon County. 
John was a son of John, Sr. , and grandson of 
Charles Eversole, who was a native of Holland, 
and was the first of the family to locate in Amer- 
ica. The old farm on which he took up his resi- 
dence in this county over one hundred years ago 
is the one now owned and carried on by the sub- 
ject of this article, and this property has never 
left the direct heirs. It came into the possession 
of William D. in 1874bypurcha.se. 

When he was a youth of sixteen, W. D. Ever- ' 
sole began serving a three years' apprenticeship 
to the carpenter's trade, and, having mastered 
the details of the business, he devoted himself to 
that occupation for many years. Besides work- 
ing as a journeyman he took contracts and exe- 
cuted the same, in the meantime giving his spare 
time to agricultural pursuits. His education had 
been necessarily limited, as the schools of his boy- 
hood were conducted poorly and but a small pe- 
riod in each year. By reading and observation 
and in the rough school of experience he has 
since become well informed on general and busi- 
ness subjects. For about a quarter of a century 



446 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he has devoted himself solely to farming, and has 
made a success of the enterprise. In his political 
affiliations he is a Republican. In 1892 he was 
elected clerk of Readington Township, and acted 
in that position for a term of four years. 

March 4, 1850, Mr. Eversole married Miss Mary 
Henry, who was born May 22, 1827, in Lebanon, 
N. J. She is a daughter of Peter and Eve 
(Lindeberry) Henry, of whose family but two be- 
sides Mrs. Eversole survive, viz.: Peter T., of 
Lebanon, N. J. ; and Oliver, of Warren County. 
On the maternal side, Mrs. Eversole is of Holland- 
Dutch ancestry. To our subject and wife four 
children have been born, viz.: John C, of Warren 
County, N. J. ; Eveline, wife of Robert Gamble; of 
New Brunswick, N. J.; Mary E., wife of I. D. 
Savacool, of this county; and Charles W., who is 
still at home. Mr. and Mrs. Eversole are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of White 
House, the former having held the offices of 
trustee, steward and treasurer in the congrega- 
tion. 



(31 SA CASE, an honored resident of Cherry ville, 
LI Hunterdon County, is now living retired 
/ I from active life, as he has richly earned a 
season of rest and quiet. He has been a very in- 
dustrious, thrifty farmer for the greater portion 
of his career, and has acquired a competence for 
his declining years by the exercise of prudence 
and good business management of his affairs. In 
all his dealings with his fellow-men he has been 
noted for his unvarying integrity of word and 
deed, and those who know him best are the ones 
who accord him the highest praise. 

The father of the above, William Case, was, 
like himself, a native of this county and was a 
life-long resident within its borders. He was a 
carpenter by trade and united the calling with 
that of farming until he was pretty well along in 
years. Then for a period he engaged in the coop- 
erage business with his eldest son, Jonathan. His 



life was a very useful and active one and at all 
times he strove nobly to do his whole duty toward 
God and man. In his political convictions he was 
a Democrat. His labors finished, he was sum- 
moned to his reward at the good old age of sev- 
enty-nine years. He was a son of Adam Case, 
who as far as known was a native of this count}' 
also and whose occupation was that of a gun- 
smith. The mother of our subject bore the 
maiden name of Rachel Evans. Of her fifteen 
children she reared all but three, and of this large 
family but three are now living. Annie, the wid- 
ow of Mr. Green, is now about eighty-eight years 
old; while Matilda, widow of Jacob Gray, is 
eighty-one. The revered mother, who was a 
faithful member of the Baptist Church, also at- 
tained a ripe age, dying when in her eighty-fifth 
year. 

Asa Case was born on the old farm in Raritan 
Township, this county, April 14, 1827. In com- 
mon with the other children of his day his educa- 
tion was such as the public schools afforded, and 
like other farmer lads, he was early initiated into 
the duties of farm management. He remained at 
home until he was past his majority and was so 
judicious in the matter of expenditure of such 
funds as he earned that he was enabled to buy a 
farm for himself when he was about twenty-seven 
years of age. This place was situated in the 
same township in which he had been reared, and 
to its cultivation and improvement he devoted the 
next twenty years of his life. A desirable oppor- 
tunity then offering itself he sold out, and in lieu 
thereof bought the homestead known as the 
Lawsie farm, it being located in Franklin Town- 
ship. Here he lived until 1SS1, when became 
to reside in Cherryville, but a year later he went 
back to the farm. In 1887 he became a perma- 
nent citizen of Cherryville, having purchased a 
pretty home in the town and decided to pass his 
remaining years here in quiet and content. 

In 1847 Mr. Case married Elizabeth Ann Rode- 
bock, a native of Hunterdon Count}- and a daugh- 
ter of John D. Rodebock. She has been a faith- 
ful helpmate, sharing her husband's joys and sor- 
rows and helping him in every possible manner. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



447 



They have three children: Mary E., widow of 
Henry S. Brown; Rachel Anna, who is unmar- 
ried; and John D., a progressive business 
man of this county. July 24, 1897, Mr. and Mrs. 
Case celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their 
marriage. For the past forty-eight years Mr. 
Case has been a consistent member of the Baptist 
Church and has always done his share towards 
the support of the same. His family are also 
identified with the church and are valued workers 
in the denomination. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. 



r\ETER F. HOFFMAN. Among the sub- 
L^ stantial agriculturists of Clinton Township, 
[S Hunterdon County, is this sterling citizen 
who is the owner of a valuable and very desirable 
homestead. In 1852 he built a commodious 
house, which has since been the dwelling-place of 
his family, and under its hospitable roof many a 
traveler, friend and neighbor has received gen- 
erous hospitality. Of late years the proprietor 
has given much attention to the raising of fruit, 
and from this source alone derives a goodly in- 
come. He enjoys the honor of being the pioneer 
peach grower of this section, and on his farm may 
be found one of the largest and finest orchards of 
the kind in the state. 

Grandfather Henry Hoffman was a native of 
the Empire state, and there married Rebecca 
Dilts. Afterwards he removed to this count}' and 
became a extensive land owner, his home being 
upon the farm now in the possession of Mr. Feck. 
All of his eight sons and three daughters have 
been summoned to the silent land. John H., 
father of our subject, was the second in his fath- 
er's family, and was reared 011 the paternal home- 
stead in this county. Subsequent to his marriage 
he settled in Somerset County, but after an ab- 
sence of not more than six years he returned and 
bought a farm here. In his declining years he 
made his home in the town of Anuandale. He 



was an old-line Whig, and held many official po- 
sitions of importance in his community, such as 
collector, freeholder, etc., and was, moreover, a 
member of the state assembly for a time. 

Of the four children born to John H. and Sarah 
(Fisher) Hoffman, our subject is the eldest, and 
the only survivor. The date of his birth is May 
6, 1819, and the place was in Somerset County. 
January 12, 1842, he was united in marriage with 
Catherine Runkle, who was also a native of Som- 
erset County, born December 26, 182 1, a daugh- 
ter of John E. Runkle. After their marriage the 
young couple located on the farm of the bride's 
father, staying there eight years. He then pur- 
chased the farm which he has ever since cultivated 
and in 1849 he became the owner of the old 
homestead of his wife's father, which place ad- 
joined this one. Thus, altogether his property 
comprises two hundred and thirty-seven acres. 
He has constantly improved and developed the 
farm and surroundings, taking genuine pride in 
having everything about the place neat and 
thrift}'. He has been very active and aggressive 
from a business point of view, has raised a general 
line of crops, has managed quite a dairy, shipping 
his products to New York City, and fifteen or 
twenty years ago began raising fruit in great 
quantities. He now has about sixty-five acres of 
peach trees, of many varieties, and finds a ready 
market in the great metropolis. In 1852, when 
the New Jersey Central Railroad was built, he 
opened a lumber yard in Annandale, and carried 
on the same for thirty years, at the same time 
buying timber in Pennsylvania, erecting saw- 
mills, and transacting a business of over $100,000 
per year. While located in Annandale he also 
handled grain and seeds, etc. Thus, from the 
foregoing facts it may easily be seen that few men 
in this county have been more energetic and pro- 
gressive in the management of business under- 
takings. 

Since the time when, as a young man, Mr. 
Hoffman rode four miles in a drenching rain to 
pay his poll-tax in order that he might be entitled 
to vote for the first time, he has been loyal in the 
discharge of his duty as a citizen. In early days 



443 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



he was a Whig, and later became a Republican. 
His neighbors have often called upon him to rep- 
resent them in official capacities, and he has 
ever been faithful to the public welfare. Three 
years he was a freeholder; for years. was judge of 
elections, and was often a delegate to county and 
state conventions. Twoscore 3'ears have passed 
since he became identified with the Masonic 
order. He held all of the positions in the home 
lodge and at his own expense built the hall used 
by it in Annandale, prior to the removal of the 
lodge to Clinton. He is now a member of Stew- 
art Dodge No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton. 

To Peter and Catherine Hoffman the following 
children were born: William E., now the freight 
dispatcher for the Dehigh Valley Coal Company 
in Jersey City, his home, however, being in 
Annan "ale; Almira, wife of Benjamin Bird, a re- 
tired farmer, represented elsewhere in this volume; 
John R., a farmer near Annandale; Theodore 
R., engaged in milling near Bridgeport, Conn.; 
Addison A., a farmer in the neighborhood of 
Annandale; Delmar, a resident of Annandale; 
and Sarah E., who married William B. Cummins. 
He departed this life in March, 1885, and his 
widow is now living with her aged parents, caring 
for them as only a daughter can. She has one 
little girl, Emma J., who is a great favorite in the 
household. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are 
members of the Presbyterian Church of Clinton, 
and are consistent Christians in their daily life, 
putting into practical use the faith which they 
profess. 



—4~-l--.»>l>£ 



~t — 



3 AMES VAN SICKLE. Chief among the 
agriculturists of Hunterdon County is this 
sterling citizen of Clinton Township. That 
lie is prosperous and successful in his business 
undertakings is testified to by his well- filled barns 
and graneries, the thrifty condition of everything 
about his homestead, and the high place which he 



holds in the esteem of all who know him or have 
ever had any dealings with him. For several 
years he has been a director in the First National 
Bank of Clinton and for eleven years he has held 
an official position as surveyor for the Farmers' 
Fire Insurance Company (all risks being subject 
to his inspection and approval) of Readington, 
N. J., of which his father was one of the founders. 
He has lent his support to the Democratic party. 

The birthplace of the above was the old family 
homestead owned by his father and grandfather 
before him. His father was Col. Andrew Van 
Sickle, a well-known citizen of this county. Our 
subject was born February 8, 1844, and received 
a fair education in the public schools and in the 
Clinton Academy, which latter he attended two 
years. When he started out upon his independent 
career it was as an agriculturist on the old Read- 
ing farm, on which the Lehigh Valley Railroad 
Station at Flemington is now situated. Two 
years later he removed to his present home, 
which has since been his care and pride. There 
are over two hundred acres in the place, and 
most of this land is kept under cultivation. The 
owner has from forty to fifty milch cows, and has 
very profitably engaged in dairying. November 
27, 1868, he shipped the first can of milk ever 
sent out from Flemington, and the first month 
received $75.60 for twelve hundred and sixty 
quarts of milk which he forwarded to the city 
market. In 1870 and thereabout his annual 
sales were from three to four thousand dollars. 
He has also dealt quite extensively in live stock, 
buying in the west for his own and neighbors' 
needs. In 1867 he, in company with Nathan 
Hoffman, operated the property then known as 
the Hoffman mill, but now called the Alpaugh 
mill. It is located near High Bridge. On his 
farm about forty acres are planted in peach trees, 
the products of which he ships to the cities ad- 
jacent, reaping from this source alone a goodly 
income. 

January 8, 1868, Mr. Van Sickle married 
Cornelia Kline, daughter of Miller Kline, of 
Flemington. She was born in Raritan Township. 
Her father was quite a leader in his locality, was 




ARTHUR ALLEN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



45i 



a justice of the peace in Flemington for fifteen 
years, did considerable conveyancing and similiar 
business and for a number of years was a clerk of 
the Hunterdon County Bank, which he assisted in 
founding, and was also connected with the First 
National Bank of Flemington. Our subject has 
four children and three grandchildren. His son 
Howard assists in carrying on the home farm, 
and has been quite a student. He attended the 
public schools, later entered a private academy 
kept by Rev. John NcNair, of Far Hills, and has 
also gone to the commercial college in Newark. 
Mary L., the eldest daughter, is the wife of Wal- 
ter Melick, of New Germantown; Maggie is the 
wife of John Sloan, who lives on the home place 
and is active in its management; and Anna F. is 
also living at home. The family are all identified 
with the Reformed Church of Lebanon, our sub- 
ject having been a member of this bod}' for the 
past thirty years. He has occupied various of- 
ficial positions in the church, and has been very 
active, both as regards his influence and the use 
of his means in the upbuilding of the work. 



G| RTHUR ALLEN, one of the most popular 
LI and well-known hotel men of western New 
/ I Jersey, is a native of England, having been 
born in Derbyshire, December 9, 1859. His par- 
ents were Samuel and Cathrine (Deaville) 
Allen; his father for many years was the owner 
of a large dyeing establishment. 

The early education of our subject was acquired 
in the public schools of his native place and when 
attaining the age of nineteen he emigrated to the 
United States, locating in Philadelphia. His 
first employment was in the hotel business, 
where at first he acted in a minor capacity. Some 
nine years were spent by him in mastering the 
many details necessary to a thorough knowledge 
of this important calling, and subsequently he 
was placed in charge of the Railway House at 



Rahway, N. J. His success while in the man- 
agement of this property led to an offer of a sim- 
ilar position in the Union Hotel at Flemington, 
which he accepted. He served as manager of 
this well-known house for about four years, 
winning the praise of its patrons by his careful 
attention to their wants and by his many agree- 
able traits of character. In 1893 he severed his 
connection with this latter house to purchase the 
American Hotel at High Bridge, Hunterdon 
County. 

Since becoming the owner of this property he 
has made extensive changes in its interior ar- 
rangements. After thoroughly renovating the 
premises he refurnished it with modern fittings, 
bringing it to an up-to-date standard. In mak- 
ing a tour of the hotel, one is pleased by the neat- 
ness and brightness which ever}- where prevail, 
showing the carefulness of the thrifty house- 
keeper. The parlor is located on the second floor 
and is one of the most attractive rooms in the 
house. It is richly and tastefully furnished and 
contains a fine piano. The dining room is nicely 
arranged and the kitchen is a model one. Special 
attention is given to the cuisine of the house and 
the guest can feel assured of finding the table 
supplied with all the delicacies of the season. 
Another pleasant feature is the reading room, 
supplied with an assortment of the current daily 
and weekly papers and journals. The halls and 
bed rooms are well ventilated and lighted and the 
furnishings of the latter suggest grateful rest to 
the weary traveler. 

Since assuming the management of this house 
Mr. Allen has been successful in building up a 
large and constantly increasing business and his 
close attention to the needs of his guests, as well 
as his kind and courteous manner, has won for 
him a host of friends throughout this section of 
the state. In the hotel is located the station of 
the long distance and local telephones, the 
only station aside from that in the office of the 
iron works. Politically he is independent, pre- 
ferring to vote for the best man, irrespective of 
his politics. He is a member of Wickcheoche 
Tribe No. 24, Order of Red Men, of Flemington. 



452 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



In August, 1889, Mr. Allen married Rose, 
daughter of John and Eliza (Etnmett) Foran, of 
Dublin. Mrs. Allen's father was for many years 
in the employ of the famous Guinness Brewer}' 
at Dublin, where he acted in an important capac- 
ity. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have one child, a 
daughter, Ethel E. 



r^ROF. FREDERICK W. KLUPPELBERG, 
\y of Hackettstown, is the proprietor of a music 
J*2 and stationery store here, but gives his at- 
tention principally to the tuning of pianos and 
instruction on the pianoforte, organ and violin. 
He possesses the talent and love for music that 
is a characteristic of so many of the Teutonic race 
and from early childhood has evinced a taste for 
this art. He is a native of Germany, born near 
Cologne August 15, 1827, and received his edu- 
cation in the Royal Seminary on the Rhine, from 
which institution he graduated in 1848. He was 
granted a diploma for proficiency on the organ, 
piano and violin, after an examination before the 
royal committee, and afterward taught public 
school and music in his native land, at the same 
time by private instruction preparing bo}^ for 
college. 

After having engaged in professional work in 
Germany for twenty-two years, Professor Klup- 
pelberg came to America, landing in New York 
in November, 1866, and proceeding direct to 
Hackettstown, where he was at once installed as 
organist and choir leader in the Presbyterian 
Church, a position that he filled with the great- 
est efficiency for twelve years. In 1868 he opened 
a music and notion store, beginning the business 
on a very small scale, but enlarging it from time 
to time. Together with and in addition to its 
management, he continued to teach music and 
take charge of the tuning of pianos. 

The first wife of Professor Kluppelberg, Eouisa 
Burhaus, died after a short married life; he was 



afterward united with her sister, Emilie, who 
passed awaj- November 25, 1893, leaving two 
children: Louisa, who has charge of her father's 
home; and William, who manages the business 
owned by his father. Though he started out for 
himself without means, our subject has met with 
a gratifying degree of success in his chosen call- 
ing and has established a reputation for thorough 
knowledge of musical instruments. He has never 
been active in politics, but always casts a straight 
Democratic ticket and gives his allegiance to the 
principles of this party. Prior to leaving Ger- 
many he was made a Mason, and is now con- 
nected with Independence Lodge, F. & A. M. , ot 
this place. Reared in the Lutheran faith, he was 
a member of that denomination while in his na- 
tive land, but after coming to the United States 
became identified with the Presbyterian Church, 
to which he has since belonged. 



fjl LLEN DODD, numbered among the best 
J_l citizens of Phillipsburg, resides in a beauti- 
/ 1 ful home which commands the finest view 
in the city. He takes an active interest in every- 
thing that concerns the prosperity of this com- 
munity. Since April, 1867, he has been em- 
ployed by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western 
Railroad as an engineer. His run is from Phil- 
lipsburg to Hoboken, N. J. , and during the long 
years of his service he has been so fortunate as 
never to have had an accident that could be laid 
to his neglect or carelessness. For some time he 
has been chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers of this division. 

March 3, 1844, the birth of our subject oc- 
curred in the town of Orange, N. J. His father, 
George A. Dodd, was a descendant of an old and 
very highly respected family which originated in 
England, members of it settling in Stamford, 
Conn., in 1616. Later some of the family located 
in Newark and Orange, N. J., being among the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



453 



pioneers of those towns. Daniel, the uncle of 
our subject, was the clerk of the first legislative 
assembly that convened in this state. For sev- 
eral generations the Dodds have been very promi- 
nent in Essex County and throughout this sec- 
tion of the country. George A. Dodd, who was 
one of the pioneers in the manufacture of hats in 
New Jersey, died in 1855. He was a man of 
high standing in business circles, in the ranks of 
the Masonic order, and in all the relations of life. 
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Jeptha Con- 
dit, of Orange. She comes from fine old Revolu- 
tionary stock and though eighty-two years of age 
is still living in the enjoyment of fair health and 
contentment. 

Allen Dodd was partially educated in the com- 
mon schools of Orange, N. J., and completed his 
studies at Blairstown. He left school to tender 
his services to the Union forces, enlisting May 9, 
1 86 1. He was assigned to the United States 
navy department, being placed on the Harriet 
Dane on blockade duty, and at the battle of Gal- 
veston, Tex., January 1, 1863, he was captured 
by the enemy. In August, 1864, he was paroled 
and an honorable discharge was granted him 
February 15, 1865. In December, 1865, he en- 
tered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & 
Western, as a fireman, and in a little over a year 
was promoted to be engineer. He has strenuously 
kept out of politics, simply doing his duty as a 
voter, and giving his chief attention to the proper 
discharge of his duties as a railroad man. 

December 19, 1871, Mr. Dodd married Miss 
Belle, daughter of John G. Tolmie. He was of 
Scotch descent, was a fine mechanic and was the 
man who forged the first tires for the first engine 
ever constructed in the United States, also cast 
the first locomotive cylinder that was cast in 
America. Thirteen children were born to our 
subject and wife, and all but three of the number 
survive. Joseph, the eldest son, is a fireman for 
the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad; 
Henry C, the next son, is a resident of Wilming- 
ton, Del.; Elizabeth is the wife of James T. 
Harle, of Easton. The others, George A., Rus- 
sel, Frank, Emily, Colin, Charles K. and John G. , 



are all at home. Mr. Dodd is a kind husband 
and father, and it is mainly in the family circle 
that his finest qualities shine forth unobstructed. 
At the same time he is a great favorite among his 
associates, and is liked by all who have the 
pleasure of his acquaintance. 



|~)OBERT B. BROWNE, M. D. For the past 
Ua fifteen years this honored citizen of Phillips- 
n\ burg has been living retired from active 
professional cares, passing his days in his beauti- 
ful home, surrounded by evidences of a refined 
and superior taste. His home is one of the finest 
in this place or indeed in that of Easton, which 
city it overlooks, as it is situated on a height of 
land, and also commands an excellent view of 
the Delaware River, which flows between. The 
doctor is well preserved and very active in mind 
and body for a man of his years and past arduous 
labors. In 1848 he was united in marriage with 
Miss Susan, daughter of Rev. John Gray, D. D., 
pastor of the Easton Presbyterian Church for the 
extremely long period of half a century. Mrs. 
Browne died in 1887, and their only child, Eliza- 
beth R., devotes her life to her father, as he has 
done for her. 

At a very early da}', during the first settle- 
ment of Pennsylvania, our subject's ancestors 
located in the state, and were associated with the 
celebrated William Penn or his cotemporaries. 
The}' came from England to found a new home 
for themselves and their children in a land of free- 
dom and religious tolerance. Browne street, in 
Philadelphia, was named for the doctor's grand- 
father, Peter Browne, who at one time owned a 
large ship-yard at Kensington, now a part of the 
city. A tree in his garden behind his house in 
that town was the one under which Penn and the 
Indians signed the treaty of peace. Some of the 
Browne family still have in their possession parts 
of the historic tree made into furniture. Peter 



454 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was a well-to-do man for his day, was a promi- 
nent citizen and was extensively engaged in ship 
building. 

William J., father of our subject, was born in 
the Quaker city, and in his early manhood was 
interested in the wholesale hardware business 
there. Later he went in the iron industry in 
Trenton, N. J., and about 1822 removed to 
Easton, where he died a few years afterwards. 
He was very zealous in the building of the Epis- 
copal Church of Easton, and in his enthusiasm 
himself cut the first timber that went into its con- 
struction. He married Frances I., daughter of 
Robert Bethell, who was a ship captain and 
owner of a line of vessels plying between Phila- 
delphia and China. General Irvine, a relative of 
Mrs. Frances Browne, was noted for his bravery 
in the Revolutionary war, and was wounded at 
the battle of Germantown. Of the nine children 
born to Mr. and Mrs. William J. Browne, the 
doctor, who was the youngest, alone survives. 
The mother died in 1855. 

In his youth he attended the schools of Easton 
and the Vanderveer Seminary, then well known 
among educational institutions, and later he was 
a student in Lafayette College. After having 
given some time to preparation under the guid- 
ance of Dr. Edward Swift of Easton, he entered 
the medical department of the University of 
Pennsylvania, graduating therefrom in 1846. 
For a short time he was then engaged in practice 
in Easton, his next location being in Asbury, 
Warren County, N. J. The war was in prog- 
ress at this time and he was appointed by the 
governor surgeon of the Thirty-first New Jersey 
Infantry in 1862. About a year later he became 
a medical officer in Washington, D. C, and Jul}' 
5, 1864, was commissioned assistant surgeon of 
the United States Volunteers. March 13 follow- 
ing he was brevetted major for faithful and meri- 
torious service, and October 25, 1866, he was 
further honored by being brevetted lieutenant- 
colonel in acknowledgment of his fidelity and 
unremitting labors during the dread epidemic of 
cholera which prevailed at Galveston, Tex. He 
was surgeon in charge of the post hospital, health 



officer of the city and post-surgeon, and for a 
short time acting medical director of the depart- 
ment of Texas. He was honorably discharged 
at his own request, November 1, 1866, being one 
of the nineteen surgeons of the United States 
Volunteers in service at that time. At the fall of 
Richmond he was surgeon-in-chief of the artillery 
brigade of the Twenty-fifth Corps. On the event- 
ful morning of April 3, 1865, he was invited by 
General Weitzell to accompany his staff into the 
city, but, being late, went alone, save for his 
orderly. His account of his adventures that day 
are very interesting, and he collected many things 
which are now of great value and significance, 
such as a copy of the last newspaper printed 
under the confederacy in its stronghold — the 
Richmond Daily Dispatch of April 2, 1865 — and 
souvenirs of Jefferson Davis, secured from his 
home and the state house. 

Upon his return north, Dr. Browne received an 
appointment in the spring of 1867 as physician in 
charge of the Spring Mountain Coal Company's 
collieries, near Hazelton, Pa., and this position 
he continued to fill until he retired from practice 
in 1883. In politics he has always been a Re- 
publican. He is very entertaining as a conver- 
sationalist, and is a thoroughly posted and well- 
read man. His friends are numbered by the 
hundred, for his true and acknowledged worth 
and sterling character have won the highest 
regard of all with whom his lot has been cast. 
His alma mater, Lafayette College, conferred 
upon him the degree of Master of Arts in 1865. 



■»>*§3 



»©£«<• 1 — :- 



GlDAM MARTIN, the leading grocer of Phil- 
I I lipsburg, Warren County, is a native of the 
/ I adjoining county of Northampton, Pa., his 
birth having taken place therein January 1, 1855. 
Coming here nineteen years ago, he embarked in 
the enterprise of carrying on a staple and fancy 
grocery at his present location, and during the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



455 



intervening years has been very successful. In 
addition to this he is interested in contracting for 
stone work, curbing for streets, etc. In the local 
lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks 
he stands high, and is now serving in the capac- 
ity of its treasurer. Whether in business, social 
or church circles, he is held in great esteem, and 
his cheerful ways and optimistic spirit make him 
a general favorite wherever he goes. 

The Martin family to which our subject be- 
longs had its origin in Germany. His father, 
Michael, came to America in 1820, landing on 
these hospitable shores after a tedious voyage of 
ninety-six days. One of his brothers was a minis- 
ter, another a doctor, while he was a distiller — 
one of the first in the business in Northampton 
County, Pa. He settled permanently in Martin's 
Creek, and spent a portion of his time in farming. 
He was much liked in his neighborhood, was a 
quiet, industrious citizen, and attended strictly 
to his own affairs. He died in October, 1888, at 
the ripe old age of ninety. His devoted com- 
panion and helpmate, whose maiden name was 
Elizabeth Jumper, preceded him to the silent 
land by about six years. Her father was Jacob 
Jumper, whose life was passed in Pennsylvania. 

Adam Martin is one of a family numbering 
thirteen children, of whom the following are yet 
living: John, Michael, Isaac, Joseph, Uriah, 
Jacob, Charles, Rebecca and Adam. With the 
exception of himself they are all residing in 
Pennsylvania, Michael in Mauch Chunk, and 
several of the others in Easton. The sister lives 
in the last-named place and is the wife of Ed 
Erie. Until he was fourteen years of age our 
subject attended the common schools in the vicin- 
ity of the old homestead, and his next step was to 
begin learning the trade of a blacksmith. Pie 
served an apprenticeship of three years at this 
calling, after which he was employed in the 
Cedarville (Pa.) iron mines for a similar period. 
The following twelve months he worked for his 
brothers in the wholesale liquor business in Mauch 
Chunk; then for a year and a-half he was agent 
for the Port Allen Iron Works of Whitesport, Pa. 
For four years he resided in Easton, being with 



the Easton Car Company during that time, and 
later he was with the Andover Furnace Company 
for a twelvemonth. Nearly two decades have 
elapsed since he came to live permanently in 
Phillipsburg, and he has long been thoroughly 
identified with her best interests. In politics he 
is to be found espousing the Democratic part}' 
platform. Religiously he is a Lutheran. 

April 23, 1879, Mr. Martin married Martha, 
daughter of John Mutchelor, and six children 
graced their union. Two of the number are de- 
ceased,' and the others are, Emma, Harlem, Neva 
and Fred. 



30HN C. CRAMER is an honored old citizen 
of Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, 
having been a resident of this locality all of 
his life. He is the owner of a valuable farm of 
one hundred and forty-seven acres, and about 
thirty-three years ago he planted a peach orchard, 
being one of the first to do so in this county. At 
this time he has thirty-five acres of trees, which 
bring to him each year an abundant income in 
return for the care and attention bestowed upon 
them. For a quarter of a century he has been 
also interested in dairying, and shipped the first 
milk that went from Aunandale over the New 
Jersey Central Railroad. He has made all of the 
improvements upon his farm, built the house and 
barnes, fences, etc., and thus increased its value 
three-fold. 

The great-great-grandfather of our subject on 
the Cramer side of the family came to America 
from Germany, his native place. The records 
show that the grandfather of John C. was born 
September 22, 1775, and, after passing a useful 
life in this vicinity, died February 18, 1835. He 
married, January 16, 1794, Christiana Sharp, who 
was born April 20, 1776, and died August 14, 
186S. For years the grandfather served as a 
constable and in other local offices here and was 
esteemed by all who knew him. From him a 



456 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



scrip dollar has been handed down to our subject. 
It is very curious, being made in the form of a 
coupon, issued in 1778, and comprises four bills 
of forty, thirty, seven and five dollars respectively, 
redeemable in Spanish milled dollars or gold or 
silver to the amount thereof. 

Of the five daughters and three sons of Matthias 
and Christiana Cramer, our subject's father, 
John S. , was the eldest son. He was born July 
29, 1798, and lived with his parents until he 
arrived at mature years. September 29, 182 1, 
he bought land in Clinton Township and here 
engaged in the tilling of the soil until death 
closed his labors, May 7, 1893. He married 
Catherine Creger, who died May 10, 1882. He 
was a Whig, and later affiliated with the Demo- 
cratic party. In all his transactions he was 
remarkable for his uprightness and justice, and it 
was said of him, and, not without reason, that he 
would rather give five dollars than take five cents 
from any one. He had three children, Mat- 
thias, John C. and David C. 

The birth of John C. Cramer occurred January 
19, 1827, in what was then the township of 
Lebanon, but is now called Clinton. He gained 
a district-school education, and, upon arriving at 
man's estate, he chose for his future companion 
along the rugged journey of life Sarah S., 
daughter of Henry R. Rockefellow. Soon after 
this event the young couple settled upon a por- 
tion of their present farm, he having bought 
eighty acres, to which he has since added sixty- 
seven acres. Following the example of his 
father, he was first a Whig and then a Democrat. 
In 1866 he was elected a freeholder, and upon the 
expiration of his term was re-elected to this re- 
sponsible position. In 1890 he was elected a 
committeeman, was treasurer three }-ears, and 
during this period the payments on the county 
poor farm were made. In 1893 he was once 
more honored by being elected freeholder, and 
has since occupied this office to the satisfaction 
of all concerned. Mr. and Mrs. Cramer are both 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 
Lebanon. Ever since it was organized he has 
been the treasurer of the church and was also a 



trustee and steward and superintendent of the 
Sunday-school. He has one child, a daughter, 
who is the wife of Joseph A. Hayues, of Plain- 
field, N. J., for many years connected with the 
New Jersey Central Railroad. 



SEORGE PALMER CURTIS has been the 
editor of the Warren Republican for over 
ten years, and under his judicious and skill- 
ful management the paper has advanced greatly 
in standing, until it now ranks with the best local 
weekly journals published in the state of New 
Jersey. This well-known paper, established in 
1872, occupies a warm place in the hearts of the 
people in the vicinity of Hackettstown, Warren 
County, for it is sincerely devoted to their inter- 
ests, and aims to give them an interesting resume 
of the current events and affairs taking place in 
the busy world, as well as to chronicle the mat- 
ters of local importance. Mr. Curtis, who is a 
young man in the prime of life, is full of energy 
and enthusiasm for the work he has in charge, 
and spares himself no pains to make the paper 
bright and newsy, entertaining and useful to its 
readers. 

The birth of G. P. Curtis occurred November 
10, 1854, in Hackettstown. He is the eldest sou 
of Joshua H. and Margaret Curtis, old and re- 
spected citizens of this place and natives of Hun- 
terdon and Warren Counties, respectively. The 
boyhood of our subject passed quietly in this 
town, where he received excellent educational 
advantages. The public school at that time was 
presided over by Isaiah Trufant, an able instruct- 
or who prepared a class of young men and 
ladies for college. Latin, Greek and the higher 
sciences were taught in the high school at that 
time and the pupils obtained a thorough educa- 
tion which fitted them for any college in the 
county. In the fall of 1S73 Mr. Curtis entered 
the freshman class of Lafayette College, in Eas- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



457 



ton, Pa., in the classical department, and, after 
taking the required course of studies, graduated 
with honor in June, 1877. Subsequently he en- 
gaged in teaching in Morris Count}', N. J., for a 
period of five years, meeting with deserved suc- 
cess, for he was devoted to his work and was 
justly popular with his pupils. 

In the autumn of 1881 Mr. Curtis accepted a 
more lucrative position as bookkeeper in a large 
wholesale and retail boot and shoe establishment 
in Scranton, Pa. After a time he resigned this 
place and engaged in the insurance business, and 
later turned his attention to the management of a 
grocery. He then returned to Hackettstown and 
in September, 1888, he purchased an interest in 
the Warren Republican, of which he has since 
been editor. In addition to publishing the paper 
the Curtis Brothers, who constitute the firm, do 
a general printing business, book, catalogue and 
job work, and in this department are usually 
very busy. 

In a social way Mr. Curtis is very much liked 
by his fellow-townsmen, and is always gladly wel- 
comed wherever he goes. He is a patriotic citi- 
zen, thoroughly identified with the best interests 
of this place and ever ready to lend his influence 
to the support of new industries or improvements 
which he believes will accrue to the lasting bene- 
fit of Hackettstown. In his political belief he is 
an ardent Republican, but has never had any de- 
sire to hold public office. 



(p[ BLAIR KELSEY, who for thirteen years 
LJ has been cashier of the Belvidere National 
J I Bank, is a representative citizen of Warren 
County. In the world of business, society and 
politics he is equally at home and equally re- 
spected, and we take great pleasure in presenting 
to our readers a brief history of his life and 
a well- deserved tribute to his sterling worth. 
Everything which affects the public welfare is a 



matter of deep concern to him, and in the promo- 
tion of all laudable enterprises he can be assur- 
redly counted upon. Summing up the leading 
characteristics of his life, it is safe to say that few 
men in this community have a better record 
for strict integrity, honor, energy in business, 
patriotism and general good citizenship than he. 

The father of our subject, Aaron H. Kelsey, 
was a son of Henry Cooper and a grandson of 
John Kelsey, the latter a native of Newton, N. J. 
Aaron H. Kelsey was born in Sparta, Sussex 
County, N. J., and died at his birthplace in 
October, 1S55. At an early age his talent for a 
commercial career became manifest, while he was 
an employe of John I. Blair, of Blairstown (then 
known as Gravel Hill), N. J. Later he rose to 
be a partner in the firm, and some time after his 
marriage to the younger sister of John I. Blair 
he removed to Sparta, where the remainder of 
his busy and useful life was passed. His wife, 
Elizabeth, survived him several years, dying in 
1864. He was very influential in the organiza- 
tion of the old Sussex National Bank at Newton, 
and was a director in the same. In politics he was 
an ardent Whig, and was three times elected to 
represent his district in the New Jersey senate, 
his term of service beginning in 1846. Henry C. 
Kelsey, a cousin of our subject, was for twenty- 
five years secretary of the state of New Jersey, 
having recently retired from office. W. S., the 
only brother of A. Blair Kelsey, is a resident of 
St. Joseph, Mich. 

The birth of A. Blair Kelsey took place in 
Sparta, N. J., in 1848. His education was such 
as was to be obtained in the local schools and at 
Blair's Hall, Newton, N. J. When he was 
about eighteen years of age he embarked in 
general merchandising in Johnsouburg, Warren 
County, where he remained for ten years, at the 
end of which period he came to Belvidere. He 
was elected cashier of the bank here in 1885. 
The institution is one of the oldest in the state, 
as it was organized in 1830. The capital has 
been reduced from $500,000 to $100,000 and pays 
ten per cent annually. The president of the bank 
is John I. Blair, previously alluded to in this 



458 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



sketch, and D. C. Blair is the vice-president. 
Mr. Kelsey has often been sent as a delegate to 
political conventions of his part}-, and took a 
very active part in the late campaign. He was 
a delegate to the convention that nominated Mc- 
Kinley, organized the "gold standard" men of 
this count}', and was on the committee that 
notified Mr. McKinley of the high honor which 
had been bestowed upon him by his countrymen. 
During the administration of President Arthur, 
Mr. Kelsey was appointed postmaster of Belvi- 
dere, and officiated as such until the change of 
administration. A lover of fine horses, he has 
owned several very valuable ones, among them 
being Ella Morris, standard-bred and regis- 
tered and the winner of blue ribbons whenever 
exhibited all through Indiana and Kentucky. 
Fraternally Mr. Kelsey is identified with the 
Masonic order. 

September 30, 1874, occurred the marriage of 
our subject and Rachel, daughter of John H. 
Blair, of Knowlton, Warren County, N.J. They 
have one child, Eaura Blair. 



EHARLES STEWART HOYT, who is a suc- 
cessful farmer residing in Franklin Town- 
ship, Hunterdon County, on the Eandsdowu 
estate, is the youngest child and only son of 
Capt. Moses and Sarah C. (Wilson) Hoyt. 
Though his own history has been uneventful, as 
he has always resided in this locality and followed 
farming pursuits, the life of his father was just 
the reverse, and his numerous experiences and 
adventures on the high seas and in foreign lauds 
-made him a man of large practical information 
and an interesting talker. 

Captain Hoyt was a native of Calais, Me., and 
was a son of Electus Hoyt, a shipping merchant 
who owned vessels plying between the United 
States and other lands. The spirit of adventure 
and enterprise early awoke in the mind of the 



youthful seeker after change and excitement. 
When but twelve years of age he ran away from 
home. He boarded one of his father's ships 
bound for a southern port and never returned to 
his old home until he became a man. The ocean 
had irresistible charms for one of his fearless 
nature, and he soon became master of his profes- 
sion. While visiting in New Jersey he became 
acquainted with Miss Sarah Cotuam Wilson, 
daughter of John and Mary Wilson, and a mem- 
ber of an old family in that state. After their 
marriage he began life as a landsman, and fol- 
lowed agricultural pursuits for a number of years 
at Eandsdowu, the inherited property of his wife, 
and now owned by his son, a beautiful old home- 
stead around which clusters the sentiment and 
associations of many generations, embowered in 
shade and standing where the south branch, of 
the Raritan makes one of its most graceful curves. 

In 1849 Captain Hoyt visited California and was 
engaged in various business enterprises there for 
some years; afterward, and during the latter part 
of his life, he was employed by the marine insur- 
ance companies of New York to protect their 
large interests in the waters of the Bahamas. He 
died in their employ in 1862, highly respected by 
those he faithfully served, and though many 
years have elapsed since his death, he is still 
remembered by a host of old frieuds and asso- 
ciates. 

At a meeting of the Board of Underwriters 
held November 19, 1S62, a resolution was pre- 
sented and unanimously adopted, expressing the 
sympathy of all the members of the Board with 
Mrs. Hoyt in her bereavement; their high appre- 
ciation of the excellent qualities of mind and 
heart possessed by Captain Hoyt, and their un- 
limited confidence during the many years in their 
service in his integrity and faithfulness to all the 
trusts confided to him. 

Captain and Mrs. Hoyt were the parents of two 
daughters and one son. Helen, the eldest, died 
in 1879. Margaret E., living at Eandsdowu 
with her brother Charles, still survives. Mrs. 
Hoyt passed away in 1SS2, at the age of eighty- 
one years. She was a most cultured lady, and 




C. F. HALSTED, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



461 



attracted to her friendship the educated and 
refined of her day and generation. She was a 
faithful member of the Presbyterian Church. 
Their only son, the subject of this sketch, was 
born on the Landsdown farm, where he still 
resides, in 1845. This place (the Wilson home- 
stead) was originally the property of Col. Charles 
Stewart, who won his title in the Revolutionary 
war. The farm when owned by him was a square 
mile in dimensions. A deed for this tract was 
given by Colonel Stewart to his daughter Mary, 
the maternal grandmother of our subject, in 

1795- 

Charles Hoyt is engaged in general farming, 
and gives special attention to the raising of stock. 
In politics he votes the Republican ticket. In 
1867 he married Mary Ann Sharp, of Lebanon, 
Hunterdon County, a daughter of Asa Sharp. 
In religious faith they are Presbyterians. They 
are the parents of two children, Charles F. and 
Florence C. Hoyt. 



-:—-»-- -••^-i>t^i) •■>£;■•-- -*--:- 



TJHARLES F. HALSTED, M. D., is a suc- 
C cessful young physician of High Bridge, 
^J Hunterdon Count}'. Though he has been 
located here but three years he has already built 
up an enviable reputation for skill, and seems 
particularly fortunate in his dealings with surgi- 
cal cases. He is the accredited surgeon of the 
large Taylor Iron and Steel Works here, and, in 
such concerns, there are frequently recurring ac- 
cidents of a more or less serious nature. He thus 
finds plenty of opportunity for the exercise of his 
wisdom and experience in this manner, and in 
addition, has built up a large general practice in 
the town and vicinity. He is examining physician 
for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New 
York City and for the Independent Order of 
Foresters. March 1, 1897, his high standing in 
the estimation of his fellow- citizens and profes- 



sional brethren was manifested by his being ap- 
pointed to act as health inspector of the township 
of High Bridge. 

William A. Halsted, father of the doctor, is a 
retired banker of Morristown, N. J., and has been 
very prominent and influential in that place for 
the greater portion of his career. He is a native 
of New York City, and remained in the metropolis 
until he was in his twenty-ninth year. He was 
a member of the Big Six Fire Company there, 
one of the best-drilled and equipped of the volun- 
teer forces. For thirty -five years he was con- 
nected with the National Iron Bank of Morris- 
town and was actively interested in political 
affairs, having served as an alderman and in other 
positions of a public character. His wife, for- 
merly Mary A. Freeman, a native of Morristown, 
died February 23, 1892, and their only child was 
the doctor. 

The father of William A. was Oliver Halsted, 
whose birth took place in New York City, and 
among whose relatives have been numerous citi- 
zens who have become distinguished in some of 
the professions and more than ordinarily success- 
ful in business. His brother, David C, now de- 
ceased, was the first assistant appraiser under the 
collector in the port of New York. Jacob N., 
another brother, is a retired capitalist of the 
metropolis, and for many years was connected 
with the Consolidated Gas Company of New 
York. George F., a younger brother, who died 
recently, was with Dun's Commercial Agency for 
years, and was a prominent politician of Eliza- 
beth, N. J. 

Dr. C. F. Halsted was born in Morristown, 
March 31, 1S68. After completing his prelimi- 
nary education he entered the medical depart- 
ment of Columbia College of New York, graduat- 
ing from there June 12, 1890. In order to more 
fully equip himself for his life work he pursued 
special studies in the medical department of the 
University of New York, graduating with honor 
March 14, 1891. In the autumn of 1890 he had 
opened an office at No. 265 One Hundred and 
Twenty-Seventh street, New York, and continued 
in practice there about two years. Then 



J 9 



4.62 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



for the succeeding four years he was located 
in Morristown, his old home, and from there 
went to the west, with the intention of settling in 
the town of Anaconda, Mont. He did not like 
the strange surroundings or people, however, 
and, after prospecting somewhat in other locali- 
ties in the west he returned to his native state, 
determined to make it his permanent home. He 
soon concluded to try his lot in High Bridge, and 
this choice was undoubtedly a wise one on his 
part. 

In his political faith the doctor is independent, 
and in accordance with his convictions, votes on 
principle and not for party machines. Socially 
he is identified with the Junior Order of Ameri- 
can Mechanics, Peerless Council No. 218, of 
High Bridge, and is connected with Taylor 
Lodge No. 728, Independent Order of Foresters, 
of this town, and with Morristown Lodge No. 
121, K. of P. The city of Morristown is justly 
proud of her fire department, especially of Reso- 
lute Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, which has 
the honor of being deemed the finest organization 
of the kind in the state and the doctor is con- 
nected with the company, and on occasion can 
do most effective service. He is also of a mili- 
tary turn of mind, having been second lieutenant 
of Company G, Eighth New York State National 
Guard. He holds membership with the First 
Presbyterian Church of Morristown. 



PS 



m 



ON. HENRY P. CULLEN, a life-long and 
representative citizen of Hunterdon County, 
is one of her sons who has risen to distinc- 
tion from the humble walks of life by his inherent 
manly characteristics. In 1881 he was elected 
to the office of justice of the peace, and served 
most creditably as such for two terms of five 
years each. During this period, in 1884, he was 
appointed judge of the court of common pleas by 
Governor Abbott, and was again similarly hon- 



ored in 1889 by Governor Green. In 1S94 he 
received the appointment of notary public from 
Governor Werts, and in 1895 he was once more 
elected justice of the peace. In these several 
positions he won the praises of his superiors and 
the people in general on account of his fidelity to 
the least as well as to the greatest of his duties. 

H. P. Cullen was born in Franklin Township, 
Hunterdon Count}-, August 7, 1824. He is one 
of nine children, of whom but four now survive, 
whose parents were James and Agnes (Lee) 
Cullen. The father was a native of Trenton, 
N. J., but came to this count}- when a child, be- 
ing reared in the home of an uncle. In youth he 
learned the carpenter's trade, and this calling he 
followed during the active years of his life. He 
died upon the seventy-fourth anniversary of his 
birth. The father of Agnes (Lee) Cullen was Will- 
iam Lee, who came to America from Dublin, Ire- 
land, prior to the Revolutionary war, and settled 
in Hunterdon County, where he brought up his 
family of seven children. He was a highly edu- 
cated man and followed teaching as a profession. 

Until he was eleven years of age Judge Cullen 
remained with his parents, but at that early 
period in his history he felt that he must go forth 
and thenceforth earn his own livelihood, as his 
people were greatly handicapped by the number 
of mouths to feed, and were having a struggle 
with poverty. The youth possessed a brave 
heart and was more than willing to do all in his 
power to make his parents' burden lighter. He 
worked for a farmer at $2.50 a month at first 
and was similarly occupied up to the time he 
arrived at his majority. Then for a year he was 
engaged in teaming and farming in the neighbor- 
hood of Lambertville, being employed much ot 
the time by a lumber firm. 

In 1852 he married Theodosia Reading, and re- 
moved to a farm in Kingwood Township. He 
purchased the homestead and continued to culti- 
vate and improve the place for nine years, then 
coming to Stockton, where he has since dwelt. 
To himself and wife five children were born, but 
three of the number have been summoned to the 
silent laud. A son, Theodore L-, is married and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



463 



has two children. He is managing the old home 
farm and is a practical business man. Susan R. 
is at home with her father. Some time subse- 
quent to the death of his first wife, Mr. Cullen 
married Mrs. Sally E. Cherry, daughter of Hiram 
Nixon, of Kingwood Township. The date of this 
marriage is March 5, 1886. The judge is a mem- 
ber of the Masonic fraternity, and is very active 
in the work of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



ENRY M. BIGELOW is the postmaster of 
Junction, Hunterdon County, and for the 
past eight years has been engaged in a mer- 
cantile business in this place. He carries a well- 
selected stock of goods, and has built up so large 
a trade that he now keeps four clerks to attend 
to the needs of his customers. He possesses 
the requisite ability, foresight and systematic 
methods to insure success, and he owes his in- 
creasing prosperity solely to his excellent busi- 
ness policy. 

A native of New Jersey, Mr. Bigelow was born 
in Mechanicsville June 12, 1857, being the eldest 
of the five children of Daniel D. and Ellen 
(Swackhamer) Bigelow. The others are John, a 
farmer of Warren County; Annie, a resident of 
Phillipsburg; Charles, who was an engineer on 
the Central Railroad and was accidently killed 
thereon; and William, who died in infancy. The 
father was born near Eebanou, N. J., Jul}' 1, 
1821, and railroading was his chief occupation in 
life. He was for years a foreman on railroad 
contracting work. He was twice married, his 
first wife having been Sarah Ami Mix, by whom 
he had one son, Burton D., supervisor of the 
Metropolitan Traction Company of New York 
City. His marriage to Miss Swackhamer took 
place April 9, 1856, and his death occurred more 
than forty 3'ears afterward, November 2, 1896. 

The subject of this article is self educated in a 
true sense, as he had but limited advantages and 



was obliged to start out to make his own way in 
the world when but twelve years of age. He 
found work with a construction gang on the 
Eoug Island Railroad, and after a time he became 
a news agent on the train and later a brakeman. 
His career in the railroading line was abruptly 
terminated by an accident that very nearly cost 
him his life, and forever removed the desire to 
stay in the service. He was on a train when a 
collision occurred, the car which he was in being 
literally smashed into kindling wood. The major- 
ity of the people in this car were killed or injured 
and his escape was little short of miraculous. 
His clothing was riddled with splinters, and by 
reaching out his hand he could put it into the 
fire-box of the demolished engine. The only 
injury he sustained was a cut on the little finger, 
but the shock to his S3'stem and nerves was a 
great one, and for the next few years his health 
continually deteriorated. He took a position as 
a clerk in a store in Lawrence, then known as 
Rockaway, L. L, and at the end of three years 
when he was wasted to a mere skeleton, medicine 
and doctors being of no avail, he was persuaded 
to try a change of air and climate. He located 
in Springtown, N. J., started a store there and 
ran the same until after his marriage. 

April 1, 1882, Mr. Bigelow wedded Lizzie R. 
Zeller, whose father was George W. Zeller, a 
farmer of that vicinity. The young couple 
have four children, Mary, Russell, Beatrice and 
Walter, all at home. Soon after he was married 
our subject removed to Asbury, where he opened 
a large store in partnership with his father. Dur- 
ing the following eight years he had different 
partners, the last being H. M. Riddle. In 1890 
they decided to open a branch store in Junction 
as well, operating both in partnership. At the 
end of five years such a fine business had been 
built up here that Mr. Bigelow bought out the 
interest of Mr. Riddle and has since conducted it 
alone. He has enlarged the capacity and ac- 
commodations of the store, it now being 60x62 
feet in dimensions. 

For some time Mr. Bigelow has given thought 
to the subject of peach-growing, and in the spring 



464 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of 1897 set out three thousand trees on a fine 
little farm of fifty acres, which he owns and in- 
tends to devote to fruit culture. He was the 
originator of the idea of having Junction incor- 
porated as a borough, and the tax is now $4.50 
less than that of Lebanon Township and $2.50 
less than that of Bethlehem Township, while at 
the same time it has better roads, sidewalks and 
other improvements. He was asked to fill some 
office in the new borough, but steadfastly declined 
the honor, as his object in seeing the measure go 
through was not of a selfish nature, but was for 
the good of the people, and he desired to be free 
from any imputation to the contrary. He is an 
ardent Republican, and was appointed postmaster 
of this town June 19, 1897. He is a member of 
Minerva Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F., of Junction, 
and for the past seven years has been a steward 
and trustee in the Methodist Church of this 
place. 



(JOSEPH H. EXTON. The old estate which 
I was the birthplace of this worthy citizen and 
G/ on a portion of which he still dwells is one of 
the historic points in western New Jersey, and 
one of the most celebrated in Hunterdon County. 
It is situated in Union Township, and was pur- 
chased by Hugh Exton, grandfather of the above, 
in 181 1. It comprised one thousand acres, orig- 
inally owned by Allen & Turner. 

Tracing the history of this property briefly 
from the old records of the state and historical 
society it is found that this laud was part of a 
tract granted by King Charles II. to the Duke of 
York under date of March 24, 1664, and to Lord 
John Berkley, baron of Stratton, and Sir George 
Casteret, of Devonshire, both of the king's privy 
council. Lord Berkley disposed of his share in 
the land for one thousand pounds sterling to John 
Fenwick and Edward Bylliuge, and the division 
line between this state and Pennsylvania was 
drawn in July, 1776, by William Penn and his 



associates. Over fifty thousand acres of land 
came into the possession of Allen & Turner, who 
established on the Union tract, a portion of which 
has been referred to as belonging to the subject of 
this article, the first iron works in the state, or, 
indeed, in the United States. They were called 
the Union Iron Works, were founded as early as 
1700, and were spoken of by one of the early his- 
torians as being very complete, having two furna- 
ces and two forges, each with two stacks, also a 
trip-hammer and "flattering" hammer, etc. On 
Mr. Exton's place may still be seen the remains 
of the old stack and walls of the iron works and 
he has some shell and grape-shot that were un- 
doubtedly cast here. 

The summer residence of Mr. Allen, who was 
of Philadelphia, was on this farm, and though it 
has been remodelled and modified, is now the 
home of our subject. Mr. Allen was a distin- 
guished citizen of the time in which he moved. 
He was chief-justice of Pennsylvania from 1751 
to 1774, and Allentown, Pa., was named in his 
honor. He was extensively interested in the iron 
industry in that state and in New Jersey, yet his 
personal and financial risks did not deter him 
from being true to his principles, for he was a 
strong Tory, and when the colonies declared for 
independence he remained loyal to the king and 
returned to England. The property therefore fell 
into other hands, being held under lease or pur- 
chase by numerous parties, but ultimately re- 
verted to the original owners, until Hugh Exton 
bought it in 181 1. One of these lessees or tem- 
porary owners was Col. Charles Stewart, a mem- 
ber of Washington's staff, being commissary- 
general from 1776 to the close of the war. His 
residence during that period was in this old house 
now occupied by Mr. Exton. The premises were 
raided by a band of Tories who sought to cap- 
ture the officer, but he had received warning and 
escaped with a large sum of the public moneys, for 
which he was responsible. However, the house was 
ransacked, $4,000 in current money was taken, 
together with a large amount of valuable gold and 
silver plate, linen, clothing, three watches, a pair 
of silver mounted pistols given the colonel by 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



465 



Baron Steuben, etc. In one of the county ar- 
chives is mentioned a visit paid by Mrs. Wilson, 
daughter of Colonel Stewart, to the old Union 
farm. She said, "We were escorted b}' Major 
Washington and ten dragoons." She remained 
a day and night at the house and "spoke much 
with his daughter concerning housekeeping and 
other domestic affairs. ' ' In the possession of Mr. 
Exton is an old account-book and memorandum- 
books giving quaintly worded data of work done 
in the iron works, telling the quantity of metal 
ore consumed, etc. 

The father of Joseph H. Exton was Joseph Ex- 
ton, who was born in Leicestershire, England, 
August 12, 1793, a son of Hugh and Mary (Cap- 
nerhurst) Exton. The family set sail for Amer- 
ica in July, 1796, in the ship George Washing- 
ton, and after a voyage of seventy days landed 
in Philadelphia. Those who were numbered 
among his household were his wife and children, 
Ann, John, Mar}-, Hugh, Joseph and Dolly, and 
three servants who were bound to him for five 
years, viz. : Michael Worthington, Elizabeth 
Green and Joe Lovett. Mr. Exton purchased 
the Grove farm near Pittstown ; later he purchased 
the one thousand acres aforesaid , and settled down 
to an agricultural life, here passing his remaining 
years. Joseph Exton married Julia A., daughter 
of Philip and Mary (Erwin) Howell, natives of 
Pennsylvania, though Mrs. Exton was born in 
Trenton, N. J. They had two children, Joseph 
H. and Catherine, wife of Charles P. Fraleigh, 
of Bound Brook. 

Joseph H. Exton was born on the old home- 
. stead November 7, 1847. He was reared to ma- 
turity here and received a good education. May 
20, 1869, he married Fannie, daughter of Ellis 
and Henrietta (Willins) Potter, a lineal descend- 
ant of Roger Williams. She was born and grew 
to womanhood in Brooklyn. To our subject and 
his estimable wife five children have been born, 
viz.: Alfred H., Julia Erwin, Joseph P., Ellis P. 
and Fannie Isabel. Mr. Exton is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church of Clinton, and has been 
an officer in the same. He is a liberal Democrat 
in political matters, and has taken an active part 



in local affairs. For nineteen years he was a 
member of the township committee and for five 
years was a justice of the peace. 



0HIO WHITNEY ADAMS is the veteran 
engineer of the Delaware, Lackawanna & 
Western Railroad, both in point of years 
and in 3-ears of actual service with the corpora- 
tion. His career has been a most remarkable 
one, in that in these long years of steady employ- 
ment as an engineer he has been so fortunate as 
never to have a passenger killed on his run. An 
article which was published in the Industrial 
News, of Scranton, Pa., entitled "Railroading of 
Old," refers to him in the following paragraph: 

' 'The locomotives used were the handsomest in 
the world, named the Colonel Scranton and the 
Southport. He, Adams, was the engineer of the 
latter, and has been running it continuously ever 
since. He is regarded as one of the best en- 
gineers that ever pulled a throttle. He now 
pulls a vestibule train on the Southern Division 
Nos. 3 and 6. His service is probably without a 
parallel, as in all his forty-four years runs he has 
never had a passenger killed on his train." 

Born in Ashburnham, Mass., January 9, 1833, 
O. W. Adams is one of the five sons of James 
Adams. When he was a youth he learned the 
machinist's trade in the Putnam machine shops 
in Fitchburg, Mass. From there he went into 
the Susquehanna shops of the Erie Railroad. 
In 1 854 two large engines, those referred to above, 
were constructed for the Delaware, Lackawanna 
& Western, and he was sent to deliver them. 
These engines were very handsome, being almost 
completely covered with brass work. Mr. Adams 
was placed in charge of the Southport, and his 
next engine was the William E. Dodge; then for 
thirteen years he ran the Moses Taylor; then No. 
158 for nine years, and finally he was given No. 
243, which he is still managing. This engine 



466 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



draws the No. 3 passenger train up and No. 6 
passenger train back, between Junction and 
Scranton, Pa. Mr. Adams was the first engineer 
on this engine, and no one else, with the excep- 
tion of his son Charles, has been privileged to 
manage her. Mr. Adams worked up from the 
bottom, as he was first employed by this railroad 
in September, 1854, as an engineer on a construc- 
tion train, when the southern division of the road 
was being built. January 7, 1888, he met with 
an accident which would have put an end to the life 
of a man less vigorous, temperate and constitution- 
ally strong. He was caught between a loaded car 
and the door of the machine-shop in Scranton; his 
collar-bone, breast-bone and five ribs were broken. 
In politics he is a stanch Republican. Fraternally 
he is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers, and belongs to Union Lodge No. 339, 
F. & A. M., of Scranton. 

In 1S61 Mr. Adams married Laura A., daugh- 
ter of Capt. Smith Harding, of Binghamton, 
N. Y. Mr. Harding formerly ran a packet from 
Binghamton to Albany on the Binghamton 
Canal. He was sent to Junction at the time of 
the construction of the southern division of the 
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, and took 
charge of a large boarding-house for the accom- 
modation of the numerous employes of the road. 
This house was known as the Barracks and was 
finally destroyed by fire. Mr. and Mrs. Adams 
have but one child, Charles F. , whose sketch ap- 
pears elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Adams is 
a member of the Presbyterian Church. 



— j- -O-i *•(;£•'))•;>£• t- 



3 NEWTON VAN DERBEEK. In a hand- 
some residence situated on an eminence and 
commanding a fine view of the surrounding 
country dwells the gentleman whose name stands 
at the beginning of this article. This is the 
homestead where his birth took place September 



13, 1833, and here he has happily passed the in- 
tervening years. The property is located in 
Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, and 
is considered one of the best farms in this section. 
In the year 1885 the owner completely remodeled 
his house, adding a wing, altering the height of the 
upper story, changing the plan of the structure 
materially, and otherwise improving it, until it 
bears little resemblance to the former building. 
He had steam heat placed in the house and other 
modern improvements, making it equal in con- 
venience to a city home of the better class. 

Mr. Van Derbeek is a practical business man, 
who has made a distinct success in life by his 
own inherent ability and genius. In his boyhood 
his educational advantages were of a very meager 
description, but by private study and observa- 
tion he has become so well informed that he might 
readily be taken for a college graduate. He 
worked with his father on this home farm until 
he reached his majority, when he and his brother 
assumed the whole charge of the place. When 
his brother was married our subject became the 
proprietor of the farm, which comprises two hun- 
dred and eighty-five acres, and is well adapted for 
the raising of peaches and grain. He has given 
considerable attention to stock-raising, and buys 
cattle in Chicago and Buffalo to fatten during 
the winter season. Most of such stock he finds a 
market for near home, a portion of stock going 
to the Morris Plains Asylum. 

For about fifteen years he has been a director 
in the First National Bank of Somerville, which 
is one of the leading financial institutions of the 
state and pays a handsome dividend. He gives 
about two days of each week to the bank in- 
terests, looking carefully into its transactions, in 
his customary methodical waj'. Whatever he 
enters into he never neglects and is noted for his 
faithful discharge of duty. He is a thorough- 
going Republican, and has never been a politician 
in the usually accepted sense. He has a genuine dis- 
like for the modern spoils-seeker, and believes that 
it is the duty of every citizen and patriot to do all 
that lies in his power to promote purity of party. 
In accordance with his principles, he has never 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



467 



been inducted to accept any public position. For 
several years he has served as a trustee in the 
Lamington Presbyterian Church. 

October 10, 1S66, the marriage of Mr. Van 
Derbeek and Gertrude, daughter of Rev. Dr. 
W. W. Blauvelt, pastor of the Presbyterian 
Church of Lamington, was solemnized. To them 
a daughter and two sons have been born, viz.: 
Laura, William Warren and Frank Holmes, the 
last-mentioned being in the office of the clerk of 
chancery in Trenton. 

The founder of the Van Derbeek family in the 
United States was Paulus Van Derbeek, born in 
1605. It is supposed that he arrived in Amer- 
ica about 1646, as, at any rate, he owned a lot 
in the town of New Amsterdam (now New York 
City) as early as that year. This lot was located 
midway between the North and East River, in 
what is now the down-town portion. Andrew 
Van Derbeek, grandfather of our subject, was 
born May 9, 1760, and settled 011 the old family 
homestead in Tewksbury Township about 1799, 
here being occupied in its cultivation during the 
remainder of his life. He married Althea Barca- 
low, who was born in 1762, and six boys and 
five girls were the result of their union. For 
many years prior to his death Andrew was an 
elder in the Lamington Presbyterian Church. 

John B. Van Derbeek, father of our subject, 
was born October 11, 1797, and in his youth 
learned the carpenter's trade, which he carried on 
in connection with his farm work. After his 
marriage he conducted the old homestead where 
his father had located when he was two years old. 
He was an old-line Whig, and an ardent admirer 
of Henry Clay. When the latter was defeated 
for the presidency he was almost overcome with 
despondency for a time, so bitterly did he regret 
the overthrow of the great statesman. Later he 
gave his allegiance to the Republican party, and 
though he was an earnest worker in its interests, 
would never hold office, as his friends often de- 
sired him to do. He lent substantial aid to the 
Lamington Presbyterian Church, and was a 
trustee in the same for a number of years. He 
always responded generously to any call for 



financial help or sympathy, and was revered and 
looked up to by all who knew him as a man of 
exemplary life and practical Christianity. Feb- 
ruary 18, T825, he married Catherine, daughter 
of Aaron and Magdalena (Beckmau) Longstreet. 
She lived just across the river from his home, on 
the Somerset County side. Five children came 
to grace their union, viz.: Elizabeth, who mar- 
ried Col. ArthurS. Ten Eyck, of North Branch, 
and is now deceased; Horace A., whose home is 
on a portion of the old family estate, on the 
Somerset County side of the river; J. Newton; 
Emily L- , wife of William S. Potter, a merchant 
of Somerville; and Anna Maria, wife of Hon. 
Alvah A. Clark, of Somerville. The father de- 
parted this life April 7, 1879, and was placed to 
rest in the cemetery near New Germantown. 



PROF. DAVID ROCKAFELLAR is a musical 
genius, a fact cheerfully agreed to by all 
«-) who know him or are aware of his varied at- 
tainments in this direction. He has frequently 
been noticed in the journals of Hunterdon and 
other New Jersey Counties as possessing talent 
of no low order, and the most flattering articles 
have been written of him and some of the musical 
entertainments for which he is responsible. He 
is now in business in the town of Lebanon, Hun- 
terdon County, being local agent for the cele- 
brated Mason & Hamlin organs, the Sohmer, 
Knabe, Hazleton and other pianos, and also car- 
ries a full line of stringed and band instruments. 
The professor was born on the old home- 
stead which has always been his place of abode, 
and which he purchased of his aged father in 
1896, the date of his birth having been August 9, 
1 85 1. His parents were John H. and Sarah 
(Davis) Rockafellar. The father was born on 
the old family estate of which this farm is a por- 
tion, October 14, 18 15. He has been very active 
as a business man and has taken his full share of 



468 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the responsibilities devolving upon the average 
citizen. For a great many years he was a director 
in the Clinton National Bank, and in addition to 
this he has held numerous local positions of trust 
and honor. In his political faith he is a Demo- 
crat. At the advanced age of eighty-one years he 
united with the Reformed Church of Lebanon, of 
which his loved wife had been a member through- 
out her mature life. She was born November 23, 
1823, and. was summoned to the silent land May 
8, 1S97. They had but two children, Catherine, 
who married Timothy P. Hoffman, and with him 
has passed to the better land, and David, of this 
sketch. He is making his home with his son, 
who does all in his power to brighten the declin- 
ing years of the senior's life. 

The boyhood of David Rockafellar was quietly 
passed with his parents on the farm. When a 
mere child he gave undoubted evidence of marked 
musical talent and began his education in this 
line with local teachers. He has had to rely 
chiefly upon his own resources, however, in the 
acquisition of necessary musical knowledge. In 
time he himself became a teacher, and during his 
career has instructed over five hundred pupils on 
the piano, organ, violin and horns. He has been 
the director of choirs in various towns: in Clover 
Hill, three years; in Readiugtou, five years and in 
Lebanon ten years. He has been very successful 
in giving choral concerts, and as a church organist 
has scored a distinct victory. As an instructor he 
is noted for his thoroughness and the great care he 
takes to direct the learner in the right way, and 
his pupils are not confined to those who may live 
in this immediate vicinity, but come from a dis- 
tance in many cases. 

Following in the footsteps of his father, Pro- 
fessor Rockafellar is an adherent of the Demo- 
cratic party, but has been in no sense a politician, 
as he has had no time for that business. Since 
1877 he has been connected with the Reformed 
Church, five years of the intervening time being 
a member of the congregation at Clover Hill, the 
remainder of the period being identified with the 
church in Lebanon. 

December 18, 1S78, the marriage of the pro- 



fessor and Anna R. Cook was solemnized. She 
was born in Stanton, N. J., August 6, 1856, being 
a daughter of George W. and Sarah (Former) 
Cook, the former a prominent merchant in Stan- 
ton for a great many years. To our subject and 
wife has been born one child, a daughter, Bertha. 



(JOHN R. HARDON is the editor and propri- 
I etor of the Hunterdon Independent, which is 
(2/ published in Frenehtowii, and is numbered 
among the leading and influential journals of 
this section. As its name implies it maintains an 
independent attitude on political affairs, criticis- 
ing freely and without restrictions of party ties 
whatever things appear to be in need of such 
criticism in public matters controlled by party 
machines. The gentleman whose name heads 
this article is a well-known and esteemed citizen of 
Frenchtown, where he has made his home for 
over thirty years. For almost two decades he 
has been with the newspaper he now edits, and 
with the exception of about a year of this period 
he has been the sole owner and manager of the 
enterprise. It was in January, 1879, that he, in 
company with Ross Slack, purchased the 
Independent, which has since been materially 
built up and its circulation increased through his 
earnest and persistent efforts. It gives a concise 
account of the current events of the world and 
pays particular attention to local matters of in- 
terest to its subscribers. 

The parents of J. R. Hardou were Silas A. and 
Sarah (Dilts) Hardon, natives of Hunterdon 
County. They had a family of eight children, of 
whom John R. is the eldest. He was born 
September iS, 1831, in Delaware Township, 
Hunterdon County, and was brought up as a 
farmer's boy, receiving practical training in the 
various details pertaining to the management of 
a farm. From the wise and careful instruction 
gained from his parents he developed into a well- 




JONATHAN HIGGINS. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



471 



rounded character, having right principles of 
action and a due regard for the rights of his 
fellow-men. 

September 5, 1864, he enlisted in the Thirty- 
eighth Regiment of New Jersey Volunteers and 
served until the close of the Rebellion. He was 
always at his post of duty and was well liked by 
those above him in rank and those of his own. 
In April, 1867, he came to Frenchtown and was 
employed at carpentering until January, 1879, 
when he purchased the newspaper he has since 
been interested in. He keeps entirely out of 
politics, as he has never been an aspirant for 
public positions, and has no desire to mingle in 
state affairs. 

The marriage of Mr. Hardon and Anna C. 
Vanhorn was solemnized March 27, 1867. They 
commenced housekeeping in Frenchtown, which 
has always since been their home. 



(JONATHAN HIGGINS, president of the 
I Hunterdon County National Bank and one 
G/ of the most prominent citizens of Fleming- 
ton, was born January 18, 1828, upon the farmin 
Hunterdon County where had occurred the birth 
of his father, Judiah, in 1798. This property, 
situated two miles from Flemington, in Raritan 
Township, was originally purchased by his grand- 
father, a native of New Jersey, and for many 
years a resident of this place, where were born 
Judiah and Jonathan Higgins, and the three 
children of the latter. 

The entire life of Judiah Higgins was passed in 
the locality where he was born and reared. He 
became a man of prominence in his community 
and was recognized as one of the most progressive 
citizens of Flemington. At the age of eighty- 
nine years he was elected president of the Hunter- 
don County National Bank and was serving in 
that capacity at the time of his death, in Septem- 
ber, 1890. By his marriage to Charity Fisher 



seven children were born, and of these four are 
still living, namely: Jonathan, of this sketch; 
Ellen, Mrs. Parks, of Flemington; Mary, Mrs. 
Fulper, also of Flemington; and Julia, Mrs. 
Young, of Elizabeth, N. J. 

The education of our subject was obtained in 
the public schools of Hunterdon County. Like 
his father, he has been content to pass his entire 
life amid the scenes familiar to him from earliest 
youth. In the fall of 1893 he was elected presi- 
dent of the Hunterdon County National Bank and 
has since remained at the head of this institution. 
Among his real-estate holdings are property in 
Flemington and the old family homestead near 
the town. 

The marriage of Mr. Higgins united him with 
Miss Lydia Jerolaman, daughter of James and 
Christinia Jerolaman, of Somerset County, N. J. 
Of their union three children were born, named 
as follows: Lizzie, wife of Rev. T. E. Vassar, of 
Port Murray, Warren County, N. J.; Judiah, 
who assists his father in the bank; and William 
F. , who is with the Flemington Milling Company, 
of which his father is one of the largest stock- 
holders. The father of Mrs. Higgins is still liv- 
ing and has reached the advanced age of ninety- 
two years. 



G| LVIN A. VAN HORN. Numbered among 
I I the most enterprising business men of Hope, 
/ I Warren County, is the gentleman whose 
name heads this review. He was born in Fre- 
linghuysen Township, in this county, in February, 
1849, and lived with his parents until he reached 
his majority. At that time he came to this region 
and was interested in conducting a farm for two 
years. In 1872 he removed to this town and was 
employed as a clerk by Edmund Turner during 
some three years. He learned the details of 
finance, and the foundation principles of business 
then which he has since put into practice. For 



472 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



a short time he carried on a store of his own in 
Bridgeville, but, preferring this place for many 
reasons, and believing that it had a more promis- 
ing future before it, he returned and opened a 
new building, stocking it with a complete line of 
fresh and desirable wares, and his prosperity was 
assured from the start. He has, indeed, suc- 
ceeded even beyond his expectations, and has 
built up a reputation for honesty and fairness in 
all his transactions that an}' one might well envy. 

December 24, 1873, Mr. Van Horn married 
Phoebe M. Gibbs, daughter of Israel S. Gibbs, of 
this place. Three children graced this union, 
Edwin T., Nettie P. and Clarence G. Edwin, 
the eldest, is successfully engaged in the grocer}' 
business in East Orange, N. J. He married 
Frances Einabery, of Blairstown. The younger 
children of our subject are attending school and 
live at home. 

In politics Mr. Van Horn is a Democrat. In 
1880 he was elected collector of Hope Township, 
and served as such for three years. In 1885 he 
was elected to the position of assessor, and acted 
in that capacity six years, at the end of that 
period being re-elected for another three years. 
Again, in 1893, he was chosen by the people to 
fill this post, and in all, has occupied the office 
about fourteen years. While a resident of Bridge- 
ville he was the postmaster of the village, and 
under Cleveland's last administration he was the 
postmaster of Hope. In these differing public 
positions he gave satisfaction to his political 
opponents as well as to those of his own political 
faith. He owns three good farms in this county, 
these being at present rented to responsible tenants. 
In the fraternal orders he is associated with the 
Odd Fellows, the Junior Order of United American 
Mechanics and the Red Men, of Hope; in the 
last-named having held all the offices, and for 
one term served as district deputy. He and his 
family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church 
here, in which he was for a time a trustee. 

Abram Van Horn, father of Alvin A., was a 
native of the same township as was our subject. 
He followed agricultural pursuits there for many 
years, and afterward came to the neighborhood 



of Hope. After a residence hereabouts of twenty 
years, he retired from active toil, settling down 
to pass his remaining years in the village of 
Marksboro. Formerly he carried on quite an 
extensive milling business in that place. He has 
been an enthusiastic Democrat, and for a number 
of years he was a constable. In his young man- 
hood he married Miranda E. Cummings, daugh- 
ter of Jacob Cummings. The marriage of Mr. 
and Mrs. Van Horn, Sr. , was blessed by nine 
children, viz.: Jacob C, of Blairstown; Mary E., 
wife of Norman E. Perry; Alvin A.; Austin, de- 
ceased; Andrew N. ; Johnson C; Garrett A.; 
Rose M., wife of Amos Albert; and George M. 
The mother died in March, 1898, aged seventy- 
three years. 



|i EVI V. ABEE, deceased, was a native of 
IC Bloomsbury, Hunterdon County, was reared 
|_J to manhood here, and though absent for a 
number of years when in the prime of his life, he 
returned to the scenes and friends of his youth to 
pass his last years. It was in April, 1886, that 
he purchased the hotel here that is now efficiently 
conducted by his widow. He repaired the build- 
ing, put in steam heat and made many other ma- 
terial improvements, thus placing it on a basis of 
substantial merit. He was a genial host and a 
great favorite with the traveling public, and many 
a salesman went out of his way when he could in 
order to stay over Sunday, perhaps, in this pleas- 
ant hostelry, where he was sure of obtaining the 
best of fare, and of being royally welcomed. 

John Abel, father of the above, was born in this 
county, also, and when quite a lad went to Easton, 
where he learned the tailor's trade. He followed 
that occupation there for some time, later remov- 
ing to Bloomsbury, where he continued to dwell 
during his declining days. He was a Republican 
in his political views and attended the Methodist 
Church, of which his wife was a member. He 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



473 



married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Cathe- 
rine Lott, old residents of this place. Of the 
eight children born to John Abel and wife, Mary 
Ann, who married Joseph Kitchen and resided in 
Eastern, is now deceased; William, a veteran of 
the late war, was an employe of the Philadelphia 
mint, and died in 1898; Jacob lives in Richmond, 
Inch; Andrew was killed on the railroad; Edward 
is a farmer of Warren County; Thomas, formerly 
of Frenchtowu, is deceased, and the others are 
Miller, deceased, and Levi V. 

The birth of L. V. Abel took place June 24, 
1847, and as soon as he was of a suitable age he 
commenced attending public schools here. He 
learned the barber's trade, which he followed 
much of the time for a quarter of a century. In 
this period he was located variously in French- 
town, Flemington, Little York, Annaudale and 
Lebanon. Much of the same time he was inter- 
ested in running small hotels, and thus gained 
valuable experience in the business. Since his 
death, August 2, 1893, hi s widow has managed 
the hotel in Bloomsbury which he had owned, and 
as she gives her personal supervision to the culin- 
ary department, and indeed to every detail of the 
management, the house has acquired an excellent 
reputation. Mr. Abel was very fond of athletic 
sports, and the day before his demise took part in 
a base-ball game. He was especially interested 
in this so-called national game, and would often 
make a journey of miles to witness a good one. 
He was an earnest member of the Methodist 
Church and was always prompt in his support of 
worthy charities and other good works. He is 
most kindly remembered by all who knew him, 
for he possessed qualities that endeared him to a 
host of friends. 

December 9, 1866, Mr. Abel married Catherine, 
daughter of Peter H. and Sophia (Halm) Row- 
land, of Spruce Run, in High Bridge Township, 
this county. Mr. Rowland was a miller by trade 
and operated a flour and feed mill, together with 
a sawmill on the Spruce River. He was an ar- 
elent Democrat, and did much to advance his 
party's interests in his own community. About 
1875 he removed to Scranton, Pa., where he died 



a few years later. He was identified with the 
Masonic order. To Mr. and Mrs. Abel were 
born four children, of whom the eldest, Will- 
iam, died when young; Edward Forrest mar- 
ried Maggie, daughter of James Smith, of Phil- 
lipsburg, N. J., and the two youngest, Ellen 
and Phoebe, were twins. Ellen died in infancy 
and Phoebe became the wife of Dr. H. Gut- 
man, a veterinary surgeon in Bloomsbury. Ed- 
ward F. Abel lends his services to his mother in 
the management of the hotel property and is a 
promising young business man. 



— 5~ J »>K®re 



~) WATSON BURDETTE is a representative 
rf citizen of Hunterdon County, his home 
\ being in Readington Township. He is a 
native of Bergen County, N. J., born January 4, 
1845. His parents were Henry and Rachel 
(Scott) Burdette, who were likewise natives of 
Bergen County. The Burdette (or as the name 
was formerly spelled, Bourdette) family origin- 
ally came from France, but have been numbered 
among the leading inhabitants of New Jersey for 
several generations, and have usually been oc- 
cupied in agricultural pursuits. The founder of 
the family in Bergen County came to this coun- 
try prior to the war of the Revolution, taking up 
his abode where Fort Lee now stands. The fam- 
ily of Henry and Rachel Burdette comprised 
five children, of whom our subject is the young- 
est. The others are: Mary E., Peter, John H. 
and Benjamin R. The father was a merchant 
and was the postmaster of Fort Lee for some 
time. 

R. W. Burdette was reared and educated on 
the old homestead in Bergen County. He has 
followed various pursuits, farming, carpentering 
and carding on a grocery, and in most of his 
enterprises has met with at least a fair share of 
success. He is the proprietor of two well-im- 
proved farms and has become well-to-do by the 



474 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



exercise of his native talents of perseverance and 
industry. He is a member of the Odd Fellows' 
societ}' and is affiliated with the Republican 
party . 

October i, 1879, our subject married Helen M. 
Engle, who was born and grew to womanhood in 
Bergen County, N. J. They have two children, 
Ross W. and Arthur. Mrs. Burdette is a daugh- 
ter of Andrew and Eliza (Outwater) Engle, both 
of this state, and farmers by calling. Both 
Mr. and Mrs. Burdette had ancestors who took 
part in the war of the Revolution and were 
commissioned officers. 



HEODORE PROBASCO. The history of 
the representative citizens of Hunterdon 
Count}' would be sadly incomplete should 
the sketch of the life of this worthy and venerable 
gentleman be omitted for any reason. He was 
one of the founders of Franklin Township and 
sent the petition to the legislature for the grant 
of the same, himself requesting that it be named 
in honor of our great American statesman and 
philosopher. This was clone, and he was ap- 
pointed the first clerk of the new township, serv- 
ing as such for ten years, and during that period 
was also the township treasurer. Eater he 
acted in the capacity of judge of elections, town- 
ship committeeman and commissioner of deeds. 
In 1868, 1869 and 1870, he was a member "of the 
New Jersey legislature, having been elected on 
the Democratic ticket. For years he was very 
aggressively connected with the working of that 
great political body and was an influential factor 
in local affairs. 

Though he attained the extreme age of ninety- 
one years, his birth having occurred January 1 1 , 
1807, Theodore Probasco was remarkably well 
preserved, both in mind and body, until shortly 
before his death. He read without the aid of 
glasses, and his memory and other powers of the 



mind were as bright and keen as when he was in 
the prime of manhood. He was a native of 
Pittstown, Hunterdon County, and a son of 
William and Rachel (Scott) Probasco. The 
former was born in Warren County, N. J., where 
he was reared on a farm, and in early manhood 
removed to Pittstown, where he was employed in 
the milling business about sixteen years. Then, 
coming to Ouakertown, he went into partnership 
with his brother in a cabinet-making shop. A 
stalwart Democrat, he was a justice of the peace 
for twenty years and judge of the court of common 
pleas five years, making a most creditable record. 
In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, as was 
also his devoted wife. They both lived to a good 
old age, he dying when eighty-two and she when 
eighty-six years old. The wife was born near 
Trenton, N. J., her father having been Israel 
Scott, who was a hero of the Revolutionary war. 
She was a first cousin of Gen. Wiufield Scott. 

During the progress of the War of 1812 Theo- 
dore Probasco was brought by his parents to 
Quakertown, and he remained with them until 
he was fifteen, when he began clerking in a store 
in Ringoes, this county. Thus he was employed 
three years, after which he came back to Quaker- 
town, going into the business in which his father 
was then occupied. Several years passed, and 
the younger man then assumed the entire charge 
of the business. During the following years he 
was quite successful, both in the manufacture 
and the sale of furniture and as an undertaker. 
For the unusually long period of sixty years he 
was engaged in business in this town, and in this 
time he buried over a thousand persons, as there 
is scarcely a house in this district from which 
from one to eight people were not buried by him. 
He was called to settle up a great many estates, 
and his advice was always sought by a large 
percentage of the population hereabout. 

September 14, 1833, Mr. Probasco married 
Elizabeth C. Hoff, who was born September 28, 
18 15, in what is now Kingwood Township, 
Hunterdon County. Their eldest child, Mary 
E., was born March 29, 1835, married James E. 
Huffman and died December 4, 1876. Rachel 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



475 



Ann, born November 21, 1836, married George 
T. Young, and died when about forty years old. 
Ducinda, born October n, 1839, is the widow of 
Isaac Mengel, of Bedford, Pa. Cornelius B. , born 
November 10, 1843, died in infancy. Margaretta, 
born February 7, 1S45, married Stires Fritts, 
whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. 
Sarah L., born September 4, 1849, died April 15, 
1851. Theodore Scott, born November 26, 1851, 
died April 30, 1876. He was a photographer, 
and was a well-educated, ambitious and most 
promising 3 - oung man. Of the seven children 
comprising the family, only two survive, Mrs. 
Fritts and Mrs. Mengel. 

The entire married life of Mr. and Mrs. Probasco 
was passed in the home where they commenced 
housekeeping. On the fiftieth anniversary of 
their marriage the occasion was appropriately 
celebrated and their hosts of friends united in 
wishing for them many more days of happiness. 
After they had been married sixty-two years and 
six months, the devoted wife sweetly fell asleep 
in Jesus, March 20, 1896. Her death was a 
crushing blow to her husband. His loneliness 
during the seven months that he survived his 
loved wife was heart-breaking to his children, 
but he had become so strongly attached to the 
old place during the long years of his residence 
there that he could not be prevailed upon to leave. 
His last days were therefore spent in the home 
where he and his wife commenced housekeeping 
in 1834, a s P°t dearer to both of them than all 
the world besides. They united with the King- 
wood Presbyterian Church in 1844 and lived con- 
sistent Christian lives until they passed from the 
shores of time to the great haven of eternity. 
The aged wife, when her earth life was ended, 
was laid to rest in the family burial plot in 
Bethlehem Cemetery, and seven months later the 
husband passed awaj-, October 30, 1896; his body 
was interred beside that of his wife. He had 
given his daughter, Mrs. Fritts, instructions as 
to the spot where he wished to be buried in the 
family plot and the kind of monument he de- 
sired; and his requests were faithfully carried 
out by his daughter. In the garden at the old 



home was a white rose bush that had stood in 
one place and bloomed each year for sixty-four 
years; and this she transplanted and placed be- 
tween the graves of her father and mother, over 
whose mortal remains it blooms as sweetly as 
when, in days gone by, they had together gazed 
upon its roses blooming in the old home garden. 



EOL. ANDREW VAN SICKLE, ex-post- 
master of Lebanon, Hunterdon County, 
won his title during the late war, when the 
governor of this state appointed him colonel of 
militia. He served from that time until the close 
of the war as recruiting officer. In 1857 he was 
honored by being elected to the state legislature 
on the Democratic ticket, and served for two 
years. During the long period of thirty-five 
years he was a director of the Hunterdon County 
Bank, assisting first in its organization, and he 
was also one of the incorporators of the Farmers' 
Mutual Fire Association of Readington Township, 
a director in the same, and for the past quarter of 
a century vice-president of the company. 

The colonel was born near Newton, Sussex 
County, N. J., March 20, 1820, and being left an 
orphan when he was twelve years of age, lived 
with his elder brother, George, for two or more 
years. He was of rather delicate constitution in 
his youth, it seemed, and though he was em- 
ployed seven years in a store in Lafayette, N. J. , 
he finally concluded to henceforth live an outdoor 
life. At twenty-one he received a portion of the 
old family estate, near Lebanon, this land having 
been handed down from one generation to the 
next for four generations. It is now in the pos- 
session of the fifth from the original holder, as 
our subject gave it to his son, James, in 1S92. 

In conjunction with his other agricultural em- 
ployments the colonel has made a business of 
buying live stock, going as far west as Ohio, and 
selling the same in eastern markets. He also 



476 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was interested for a time in buying timber land 
in Pennsylvania, and shipping lumber to this vi- 
cinity. He has always been strictly honorable 
and straightforward in all his dealings and has 
the respect of all who know him. In August, 
1893, he was appointed postmaster of Lebanon, 
and served several months past his term. In 
1879 he was a candidate for state senator, but be- 
coming thoroughly disgusted with the corrupt 
methods employed by politicians he withdrew his 
name and has since devoted himself solely to 
business affairs. He has always been loyal in 
his allegiance to the principles of the Democratic 
party. At the time of his election to the legis- 
lature he was the youngest member of either body 
of the same. 

February 16, 1843, Mr. Van Sickle married 
Lydia S., daughter of Garrett Conover and wife, 
Mary Stiger Conover. After a happy companion- 
ship of almost fifty-four years (lacking but four 
days) Mrs. Van Sickle was summoned to her re- 
ward, February 12, 1S97. She was a most lov- 
able woman, and a multitude of those whom she 
had endeared to herself mourn her loss. By a 
strange coincidence, a telegram was received the 
day of her death containing news of the death of 
her sister, Mrs. Caroline Ramsey, at the home of 
her daughter, Mrs. J. R. Gibb, of Somerville, 
N. J. She had departed this life but a few hours 
earlier than Mrs. Van Sickle. Six children were 
born to the colonel and wife: James, previously 
mentioned as owning the old home place; Con- 
over, who is a farmer on a homestead about a 
mile and a-half west of Lebanon; John S., a 
merchant of High Bridge, N. J.; Anna A., de- 
ceased, formerly wife of Elmer Ruuyan; Cora J., 
wife of Richard Correll, a hardware- merchant of 
Peun Argyle, Pa.; and Mary C, wife of William 
H. Emory, of Arkansas Pass, Tex. For over 
forty-five years the colonel has been a faithful 
member of the Dutch Reformed Church of 
Lebanon. 

The founder of the Van Sickle family in Amer- 
ica was a man whose name was spelled Ferdiu- 
andus Van Sicklin. He was born in the Nether- 
lands about 1635, and emigrated to America in 



1652. He settled in Flatlands, Kings County, 
L. L, later removing to Gravesend, where he 
died about 1712. He had married about 1660 
Eva Antonis Jansen, daughter of Antony Jansen. 
The great-grandfather of the colonel was Jacobus 
Van Sickle, a son of John and Lena Van Sickle. 
He was born in Hunterdon County about 1733, 
and he and his wife, Sarah, had the following- 
named children: Abraham; Andrew; Rachel, 
who married Joseph Ramsey; and Casper, who 
died unmarried. Andrew, the grandfather of our 
subject, was born in this county, April 8, 1761. 
He was a farmer by occupation, and died March 
4, 1822. His wife bore the maiden name of Mag- 
dalen Lane. Their son, James, father of our 
subject, was born in this county, February 19, 
1790. He removed to Sussex County, where he 
engaged in farming until his death, in 1832. He 
was a soldier in the War of 1 8 1 2 and was a captain 
and adjutant of the Uniformed Company of Sus- 
sex County. He chose for his wife Catherine 
Backer, and to them seven children were born. 



7JHARLES F. CREVELING, M. D., has been 
C the city physician of Phillipsburg since May, 

»_J 1896, and previously served in the same ca- 
pacity here during the yearsof i8S7and iSSS. He 
is a young man of undoubted ability and skill, 
and brings to the duties of his profession genuine 
love for the healing art and an earnest desire to 
help suffering humanity. There surety can be no 
nobler field of effort, as it is now a well-recognized 
fact that the mental and moral qualities are won- 
derfully dependent upon the state of the bodily 
health, and the phrase "a sound mind in a sound 
body" has utmost significance. The medical 
practitioner of this period must be wide-awake 
and a constant student in order to keep abreast 
of the great discoveries and new methods, and in 
this regard the gentlemen of whom we write 
stands above criticism. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



477 



His father, Jacob Creveling, came from a fam- 
ily that were identified with the annals of Asbury, 
N. J., and vicinity for several generations. He 
grew to manhood there, and having learned the 
miller's trade, carried on a mill there for years. 
In 1866 he removed to Phillipsburg, and from 
that time until his career was cut short by death 
he was the proprietor of a flour and feed store 
here. For over twenty years he was actively in- 
terested in the promotion of all measures which 
he believed to be for the good of this community. 
In politics he stood high in the local Democracy, 
and was frequently called upon by his fellow-citi- 
zens to occupy positions of trust and honor, such 
as coroner, assessor and overseer of the poor, 
school commissioner, etc. In his public and pri- 
vate life alike, he was upright and straightforward; 
true to all his duties, kind and charitable and a 
worthy example of the Christian gentleman. A 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he 
was anxious for its prosperity, and to that end 
he contributed liberally of his influence and means. 
At the close of a long and useful life, he was sum- 
moned to his reward, January 27, 1897. His 
wife, who was Miss Charity Lunger in her girl- 
hood, was a daughter of George Lunger, who at 
one time was sheriff of Hunterdon County, N. J. 
She died before her husband, April 8, 1891, leav- 
ing three children: William E. , of Jersey City; 
George L-, of Phillipsburg; and our subject. 

The birth of Dr. C. F. Creveling took place in 
Asbury, N. J., September 10, 1862, and when he 
had arrived at a suitable age he began attending 
the common schools. Having graduated from the 
high school in 1S82, in the classical course, he 
took up the study of medicine with Dr. J. F. 
Sheppard, of this place. March 14, 18S7, he 
graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical Col- 
lege of New York City, and returning to Phillips- 
burg, embarked in his professional work. In 
18S9 he went to Reaville, Hunterdon County, and 
during the ensuing six years was so busily occu- 
pied and was so unsparing of himself that his 
health broke down to a certain extent. For a few 
months he gave up his work and recuperated. 
Since May, 1896, he has been a resident of Phil- 



lipsburg and has resumed his practice. During 
1887 and 1888 he was examiner for several fra- 
ternal associations. Politically he is a Democrat. 
He belongs to the Order of Red Men, and to the 
Junior Order of American Mechanics, having held 
various chairs in each. September 7, 1887, he 
married Julia E. Wagner, whose father is Henry 
Wagner, of New York. 



JENJAMIN EGBERT YOUNG, president 
\S of the First National Bank of Clinton, Hun- 
^J terdon County, has been connected with this 
substantial institution ever since the early days of 
its histor}-. It was established in June, 1875, 
and for about twenty years he was a director, 
finally, in June, 1895, being elected its president. 
His financial ability is unquestioned, his experi- 
ence in the commercial world has been extensive, 
and he is undoubtedly just the man for this trust- 
worthy position. 

The parents of the above-named gentleman 
were William R. and Elizabeth (Egbert) Young, 
both natives of this county. In his youth the 
father learned the carpenter's trade, and in that 
line of occupation he spent the greater part of his 
life. His home was chiefly in the town of Pat- 
tenburg, but in 1853 he came to live with his son 
Benjamin, and died in the village of Bound Brook, 
in Januar\ r , 1S61. He was a son of Peter Young, 
who was probably also a native of this state. Mrs. 
Elizabeth Young, the mother of our subject, was 
a daughter of Benjamin Egbert. She departed 
this life in 1858. The founder of the Egbert 
family in America was one Govert Egbert, who 
crossed the ocean in the ship Spotted Cow, in 
the year 1660. His descendants for the most 
part settled in Staten Island, N. Y. Of these, 
Abraham Egbert married Elizabeth Garrison, 
and one of his children was Benjamin, born Aug- 
ust 25, 1768. He lived with his parents until he 
was about fifteen, when he came to this county to 



47§ 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



learn the trade of tanning, currying and shoe- 
making under the guidance of an uncle, Nicholas 
Egbert. He married Rebecca Carkhuff, and lo- 
cating in Bethlehem Township, pursued his 
trades in conjunction with farming until he was 
well along in years. He died March 28, 1848, 
and was survived by his widow twelve years. At 
the time of her death, October 14, i860, she was 
over eighty-eight years of age. Benjamin Egbert 
was.for many yearsa judgeof the Hunterdon Coun- 
ty court, and at the same time was a justice of the 
peace. His judgments were notable for fairness 
and his decisions were seldom appealed from, and 
more rarely was the appeal sustained. In politics 
he was a Democrat, and in religion an Episco- 
palian. 

Benjamin Egbert Young was born in the neigh- 
borhood ofPattenburg, this count}', in 1819, and 
in the days of his boyhood, as schools did not 
then amount to much, as conducted in the coun- 
try, be received rather meagre training in knowl- 
edge. With his father he became familiar with 
all the details of carpenter's work, and in 1844 
located in Little York, N. J., where he industri- 
ously pursued his trade for three years. From 
1847 to i860 he continued carpentering in Bound 
Brook, after which he was engaged in the lum- 
ber business there eleven years. During one 
year of this period, however, he was more especi- 
ally interested in the management of a lumber 
yard in New Brunswick. In 1871 he purchased 
a coal, sash, door and lumber business in the town 
of Clinton Station, now called Anuandale. Re- 
maining in that place until April, 1S87, he 
removed to Clinton, and has since made his home 
here. The firm of which he was a member in 
Bound Brook was styled L. D. Cook & Co. 
and it is still in existence. In politics he is 
a Democrat. 

In 1843 Mr. Young married Catherine, daugh- 
ter of Peter Creveling, a worthy citizen of this 
county. Mrs. Young died in April, 1886. Both 
of the children born to our subject and his estim- 
able wife are also deceased, and he is thus left 
alone. Elizabeth, the elder daughter, died in 
June, 1868; and Angeline died in March, 1885. 



Mr. Young is a faithful member of the Presby- 
terian Church, and is now acting as an elder in 
the same. 



■•■»:•'©;•>£••- ~e 



30SEPH R. SHIMER, a very successful busi- 
ness man of Phillipsburg, is directly or in- 
directly connected with many of the leading 
enterprises and industries of this community, and 
is worthy of a high position in the annals of the 
sterling citizens of Warren County. The cause 
of education finds in him a sincere friend, and 
for the past ten years he has served the people of 
Phillipsburg in the capacity of school commis- 
sioner, and still has two more years in this office. 
He is a director in the national bank of this 
place, owns stock and is a director in the city 
water works, and has materially assisted other 
local concerns which have been of benefit to this 
vicinity. 

The Shimer family originated in German}' 
many generations ago, but since the early part of 
the eighteenth century they have resided in 
America, first settling in the state of Pennsyl- 
vania. One of the family, Isaac Shimer, was a 
soldier in the Continental army. Abraham 
Shimer, our subject's father, was one of the most 
successful farmers of his locality, and was espe- 
cially prominent in the work of the Lutheran 
Church. He died in October, 1897, regretted by 
all who had known him. His widow survives him, 
and is now in her seventy-eighth year. Both 
of her other sons, J. Calvin and William, are resi- 
dents of Martin's Creek. She bore the maiden 
name of Sallie Ann Rosenberry, and was born 
at Martin's Creek, Pa., which was also the birth- 
place of her husband. 

Joseph R. Shimer was born at Martin's Creek, 
Northampton County, Pa., April 10, 1847, and 
received the rudiments of his education in the 
public schools. In 1869 he became a student in 
Lafayette College, Eastou, where he took a 




WILLIAM R. LAIRE. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



481 



scientific course, graduating in 1873. He then 
spent one year as a post-graduate, studying min- 
ing engineering, after which for four years he 
was a tutor in Lafayette. In 1877 he came to 
Phillipsburg and later engaged in the pork-pack- 
ing business at Easton with his father-in-law, 
D. W. Howell. In January, 1881, he opened a 
pork-packing establishment at Phillipsburg on 
his own account, and has since conducted the 
business with increasing success. He has built 
up an extensive trade in pork and provisions and 
has frequently been obliged to enlarge his estab- 
lishment. In addition to this enterprise he is 
interested in the H. G. Tombler Grocery Com- 
pany, of Easton, in which he is a director. 

In his political convictions our subject is a Re- 
publican, and fraternally he is identified with the 
Knights of Pythias. In the Lutheran Church he 
is a trustee and deacon. December 24, 1874, he 
married Sally W., daughter of David W. Howell, 
of Martin's Creek, Pa. To their union two daugh- 
ters were born: Florence C, a student in Mount 
Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass. , and 
Helen H., who is at home. Mrs. Shinier died 
December 20, 189.1, and in September, 1894, Mr. 
Shimer married Miss Annie Gangewer, of Phil- 
lipsburg. 



The parents of our subject were William P. and 
Emily C. (Anderson) Laire, both of very old and 
respected families. The father, who died in 1876, 
was a native of the vicinity of Lansdown, Hun- 
terdon Count}-. He was an elder in the Reformed 
Church, and was a man of most worthy character- 
istics. His wife was a daughter of Joseph Ander- 
son, of Hunterdon Count}'. She is still living, 
being now in her eighty-fifth year. 

William R. Laire was born November 3, 1846, 
in Hamden, Hunterdon County, and is one of 
three children. He attended the public schools 
of his home neighborhood until he was about 
sixteen years of age, when he became an ap- 
prentice to the printer's trade. He was connected 
with the Clinton (N. J.) Times for two years, 
after which he worked in the office of the Belvi- 
dere Apollo for three years. Later he was in the 
office of the county clerk and still later was em- 
ployed by the Adams Express Company. In 1874 
he was appointed agent for the Pennsylvania 
Railroad Company and has been connected with 
the same for the intervening period, nearly a quar- 
ter of a century. He is also agent of the Lehigh 
& Hudson Railroad, as well as the Adams Ex- 
press Company. He is a member of the Method- 
ist Church, belonging to the official board of the 
congregation. Fraternally he is identified with 
the Masonic order, as a member of Warren Lodge 
No. 13, F. & A. M., of which he is past master. 



pGJlLLIAM R. LAIRE, agent for the Pennsyl- 
\ A / vania Railroad Company at Belvidere, War- 
V V ren County, N. J. , is a very popular official 
and deserves the high respect in which he is held 
by the corporation in whose employ he has been 
for years and the regard of his fellow- townsmen, 
which is his in large measure. He is very active 
in the ranks of the Republican party, served for 
one term in the Belvidere town council, has been 
chairman of the county Republican committee and 
is now serving his second term on the board of 
freeholders. He has been on the county board 
of elections for five years, or ever since the law 
concerning the same went into effect. 



^JEORGE W. HOFFMAN, dealer in hard 
_ wood lumber, has been engaged in this line 
J of business in High Bridge, Hunterdon 
County, for sixteen years. In the fall of 1893 ne 
erected a handsome modern residence here, it 
being fitted with steam heat and many other im- 
provements of the times. This beautiful home is 
one of the best in town, and its owners always 
take great pleasure in throwing wide its hospita- 



20 



482 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ble doors and making their numerous friends 
welcome in a generous, open-hearted manner 
peculiar to themselves. 

The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
Frederick Hoffman, a native of New Jersey, 
though his father was of German birth, as were 
the ancestors of the other branches of the Hoffman 
family in this state. Of the twelve children born 
to our subject's parents, George and Lydia 
(Conover) Hoffman, nine are still living, viz.: 
Harmon, of High Bridge; Amos C, a contractor 
and builder of Newark, N. J.; Garrett C, a 
farmer and lumber dealer of High Bridge; Jacob 
A., a carpenter and builder of this place; 
Matthias S., a carpenter and builder of Annan- 
dale, Hunterdon County; George W., of this 
sketch; Mary E., wife of James P. Mitchell, of 
this town; Frances E. , wife of William Hardy, of 
High Bridge; and Lydia C, Mrs. JohnT. Miller, 
of this place. 

The birth of George W. Hoffman occurred 
near the town of Cokesbury, Hunterdon County, 
April 26, 1847. He received a good general 
education, amply qualifying him for the practical 
duties of life. His first employment was along 
the lines that he has ever since followed, that of 
filling contracts for posts and lumber. In 188 1 
he came to High Bridge and for eight years was 
in partnership with his brother G. C. Hoffman, 
but for the past eight years has conducted his 
business alone. He buys a tract of timber-land 
and proceeds to cut lumber and cord-wood, 
which he disposes of advantageously. He also 
deals extensively in telephone and telegraph 
poles, white oak, cedar, etc. 

In the pursuit of his business enterprise he has 
lived in various parts of the state and county, 
was in Morris County two years, thence removed 
to a place near his old home in the vicinity of 
Cokesbury; from there he went to White Hall, 
remaining for one year, then returned to 
Cokesbury for another year, and finally settled 
permanently in High Bridge in 188 1. Here he 
has been very actively interested in advancing 
the public welfare, and the concern which every 
patriot should feel in the cause of education has 



been amply manifested by him during the nine 
long years of his membership of the school board. 
In the matter of politics he is a stanch Republican, 
and socially he is a member of Rialto Lodge No. 
161, I. O. O. F., of High Bridge, and also is 
identified with Lahlatang Tribe No. 164, Im- 
proved Order of Red Men. He was married 
Centennial year to Matilda Anderson, daughter 
of William J. and Sarah (Hibler) Anderson. 
They have a son and daughter, Rutherford B. 
and Bertha. 



NIRAM DEATS, Jr., is the owner and man- 
ager of one of the oldest manufacturing con- 
cerns in Hunterdon Count}-. The plant is 
located in Pittstown, Franklin Township, and is 
under the immediate supervision of Mr. Deats. 
Here are manufactured the celebrated Deats' 
plows, threshers, corn-shellers and various kinds 
of agricultural machinery, which for half a 
century or more have found ready sale in this 
section of the United States. The manager is a 
live, progressive business man, thoroughly con- 
versant with the demands of the trade and pos- 
sessing superior judgment and executive ability. 
Mr. Deats was born in Kline's Grove, North- 
umberland Count}', Pa., September 10, 1853, and 
is the younger of the two sons of Gilbert and 
Anna M. (Oberdorf) Deats. His older brother, 
Peter C, is the owner of the old homestead in 
Pennsylvania, where he is engaged in farming. 
Gilbert Deats was born near Flemington, Hunter- 
don County, and was reared to manhood upon a 
farm. When he was about thirty years of age 
he went to the adjoining state, Pennsylvania, and 
there was occupied in running a sawmill and in 
managing a farm until his death. By trade a 
wheelwright, he became a successful business man. 
He never engaged actively in political or public 
affairs, though he was a stanch Republican. 
Religiously he was a Baptist. At the time of his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4§3 



death, which occurred when he was in his sixty- 
third year, he was serving as a deacon. His wife 
was born in Kline's Grove, Pa. She was a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran Church and was sixty-six 
years of age at the time of her death. 

In his boyhood Hiram Deats received a good 
education, completing his studies in an academy, 
where he was a pupil for three years. When he 
was about nineteen he started out on his own ac- 
count, by taking charge of a small plow factory 
in Stockton, Hunterdon County, purchasing the 
same from his uncle Hiram, for whom he had 
been named. Nine years passed, during which 
time he had become familiar with the business 
and his uncle had him take charge of the larger 
concern at Pittstown. This event occurred in 
November, 1879, our subject purchasing a one- 
third interest in the establishment. In 1884 the 
uncle withdrew from the firm and the younger 
man took charge of the entire business. 

In politics Mr. Deats is an ardent Republican 
and does his whole duty as a citizen and voter. 
Under President Harrison's administration he 
was postmaster of Pittstown, and gave everyone 
complete satisfaction. He is a member of the 
Baptist Church at Cherryville, and is now a 
trustee and treasurer of the same. June 3, 1882, 
he married Melissa Mason, of Stockton, Hunter- 
don County. They have had three children, viz. : 
Gilbert M., Walter and Julia, who died when 
but nine years of age. 



(TOHN H. NUNN, who enjoys a large and 
I flourishing practice as an attorney and 
(2/ couusellor-at-law, is also the present post- 
master of the town of Glen Gardner, Hunterdon 
County. He formerly gave such excellent satis- 
faction while acting in the capacity of postmaster 
during the administrations of Presidents Garfield 
and Harrison, that the public was much gratified 
when President McKinley reappointed him to the 



post. He is thoroughly trustworthy, faithful to 
even the least of his duties, and by his friendly, 
accommodating manner has won the good-will 
of his fellow-citizens. 

The parents of our subject were Elijah W. 
and Mar}' J. (Schompj Nunn, and his grand- 
father Jacob Nunn. The latter was a grandson 
of one John Nunn, who was one of the pioneers 
of Schooley's Mountain, Morris County, his will 
being the first record made on the books of that 
count}'. The father and grandfather of the sub- 
ject of this article were both natives of Morris 
County. The father, Elijah W., was a resident 
of Warren and later Hunterdon County during his 
manhood, and, in addition to carrying on a farm 
dealt to a considerable extent in cattle. He was 
accidentally killed in Flemington in November, 
186S, when but forty-eight years of age. His 
widow is still living, her home being in Jersey 
City. They had five children, two of the number 
dying in childhood. Rachel, the only survivor 
save our subject, is unmarried and is with her 
mother in Jersey City, taking care of her loved 
relative in her declining years. 

John H. Nunn was born November 15, 1849, 
near Rockport, Warren County, and he was but 
a mere child when his parents removed to this 
county. Having mastered the preliminary 
branches of general education he entered upon 
the study of law in the office of A. V. Van Fleet, 
of Flemington. That gentleman was afterwards 
vice-chancellor of the state of New Jersey. After 
four years of arduous effort the young man was 
admitted to the bar as an attorney, by the special 
favor of the authorities being granted a license for 
his twenty-first birthday anniversary. He con- 
tinued in the office of his preceptor until January 
1, 187 1, when he went into that of George A. 
Allen, of Flemington, for four months. In the 
summer of 1871 he located in Glen Gardner, 
opening an office here and embarking upon an 
independent career. He was licensed as a coun- 
sellor-at-law during the November term of the su- 
preme court, in 1873, and was made master and 
examiner in chancery in 1872. February 16, 
1887, he was appointed notary public by Gover- 



434 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



nor Green, and this office he still holds. July 
i, 1890, he was appointed a member of the 
county board of electors of Hunterdon Count}', 
by Governor Deon Abbett. This position he 
has occupied ever since, the first three years as 
secretary and from that time until the present as 
chairman of the board. In politics he is a Re- 
publican; he was nominated on his party ticket 
to the assembly, but was defeated in the ensuing 
election. Since the year 1894 he has been 
clerk of the school board, taking interest in edu- 
cational affairs. Fraternally he is member of the 
Knights of Pythias, belonging to Mosconetcong 
Dodge No. 98, of Junction. Twenty years have 
rolled away since he became identified with the 
lodge, which he assisted in organizing. 

January 29, 1880, Mr. Nunn married Nora W. 
Bogart, at the home of her father, James M. 
Bogart, near Wyckoff, Bergen County, N. J., Rev. 
Ephraim Deyo,a Dutheran clergyman of Ramseys, 
N. J., officiating. The mother of Mrs. Nunn bore 
the maiden name of Nancy Ward. The maternal 
grandfather of our subject was John Schomp, 
whose father, Henry, was generally known as 
"Mayor" Schomp, and was of great influence in 
his day and generation in Readington Township. 
The family is a very old and honored one there, 
the founder of it having been one George Schomp, 
a native of Holland. He took up a large tract of 
land then called "Brookie," but now Pleasant 
Run, and much of this property is still in the 
possession of his descendants. 



0>K®li§§a>C-« • 



Gl I,VAH D. RAMSEY is one of the most suc- 
L_l cessful agriculturists of Hunterdon County, 
J 1 his fine and well-cultivated homestead being 
known as the Boss farm. It is situated in Clin- 
ton Township, only a mile from the village of 
Debanon, thus being convenient to the stores, 
markets and other necessities. Mr. Ramsey is a 
thorough and practical business man, understand- 



ing everj' detail of the proper management of a 
farm, and in his outside financial dealings he has 
won much experience. He does not confine his 
attention strictly to the comparatively narrow 
routine of farm labor, but does a flourishing bus- 
iness in live stock, fruit and dairying. 

The paternal grandfather of the above named 
gentleman was James Ramsey, who owned and 
carried on a farm in this community. His son, 
James X., father of our subject, was likewise a 
tiller of the soil, and followed the business of deal- 
ing in live-stock in connection with his other 
enterprises. To himself and wife, whose maiden 
name was Catherine Van Sickel, the following- 
named children were born: Anna E., who mar- 
ried Nathan Terreberry, of High Bridge; Alvah 
H.; Dydia V., Mrs. Enoch Hoyt, of Debanon; 
Catherine M., deceased wife of Freeman Kline; 
Eudoro, deceased wife of George Slicken, of 
Pleasant Grove; Emma, who lives with her wid- 
owed mother on the old homestead; Katurah, 
Mrs. Dr. Wiley, of Paterson, N. J.; Marilda, 
wife of Ducas Voorhees, of Paterson, N. J.; Helen, 
who died in early womanhood; and Joseph N., 
of Debanon. 

Alvah D. Ramsey was born January 7, 1851, 
in this township, and in his boyhood studied the 
elementary branches of learning in the district 
schools, later going for one term to Wilkesbarre, 
Pa. He stayed at home giving his dutiful assist- 
ance to his father in the work of the farm until 
he was twenty-four years old. He was married 
November 24, 1874, to Marilda Cramer, daughter 
of David C. Cramer, of Annandale. The young 
couple settled down on the old homestead of our 
subject's father, and there spent the next six 
years. Afterwards they removed to the farm 
owned by David C. Cramer, near Annandale, and 
here they abode fifteen years, during which time 
Mr. Ramsey became extensively engaged in stock 
speculations. At three different times he has 
gone as far west as Nebraska for horses, dispos- 
ing of them in the local or city markets of this 
portion of the country. In the fall of 18S5 he 
bought the fertile and valuable farm whereon he 
has since dwelt, it being located on a slight ele- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4^5 



vation, called Boss's Hill. He has made sub- 
stantial improvements upon the place, expending 
large sums of money to bring it into a proper con- 
dition, and it is now certainly one of the best and 
most thrifty appearing places in this section. Mr. 
Ramsey has been in partnership in his stock 
dealings with R. R. Mackey, of Delaware County, 
N. Y., and both have been very fortunate in their 
undertakings. In politics Mr. Ramsey is a 
Democrat, but has never sought or desired public 
recognition, as he finds his time fully occupied 
with his own business concerns. He and his wife 
and son, John S., a bright lad of thirteen years, 
are regular in attendance upon the services of the 
Reformed Church, of Lebanon, and are liberal in 
their donations to religious and charitable under- 
takings. 



m 



i 



ON. JOHN CARPENTER, of Clinton, was 
born in Oswego, N. Y., August 27,1840. He 
is a son of John Carpenter (founder of the 
Oswego Palladium) and Sarah E- , daughter of Dr. 
Andrew Ferrill, of Herkimer, N. Y. In 1856 he 
graduated from Oswego high school, and two years 
later graduated from the State Normal College 
of Albany, N. Y. For several years he was local 
editor of the Oswego Daily Palladium, and em- 
ployed in the office of the New York Daily Tri- 
bune. In 1868 he started the Clinton (New Jer- 
sey ) Democrat, and has since been continuously its 
editor and proprietor. 

In 1867 Mr. Carpenter married Miss Sarah D. 
Stewart, daughter of the late Henry J. Stewart, of 
Poughkeepsie, N. Y. They are the parents of 
two daughters and one son, all living. 

In 1 87 1 Mr. Carpenter was elected mayor of 
the borough of Clinton, and the following year 
was chosen to represent the second district of 
Hunterdon Comity in the New Jersey Assembly, 
to which position he was re-elected in 1873. He 
was elected justice of the peace in 1877 anc ^ a t the 
expiration of his time, five years, was again 



elected, in 1882. During the same year he was 
chosen state senator for Hunterdon County for a 
term of three years. In 1884 he was delegate 
from the fourth congressional district of New Jer- 
sey to the Democratic national convention in Chi- 
cago. He was secretary of the state senate of 
New Jersey in 1889, 1891 and 1892, and presi- 
dent of the Democratic congressional conventions 
in 1888, 1890 and 1892. 



30SEPH VAN SYCKEL, one of the most 
prominent and honored citizens of Hunterdon 
County, has always resided upon the old 
family estate in Union Township, this property 
having been purchased by his grandfather, 
Aaron Van Syckel, in 1800. Eighty years have 
rolled away since the birth of our subject, June 
18, 18 18, and in the intervening period he has 
been a witness of vast changes in this region, 
in its development and increasing civilization, 
and has himself been no unimportant factor in 
the grand result. Soon after the organization ot 
the Clinton Bank in 1856 he became one of the 
stockholders and directors, continuing among 
the officials of the institution until the present 
time; in 1866 this bank was changed to a national 
bank. For the past twenty years he has been 
president of the bank, and has devoted much 
time and thought to the successful management 
of the same. He is a man of much more than 
ordinary financial ability, and though the bank, 
in common with all others, has passed through 
crises and panics, when this condition of affairs 
prevailed throughout the country, he has been 
fortunate in steering it safely through the break- 
ers to a secure haven. 

The records of the family to which the subject 
of this memoir belongs are very complete and 
interesting, and can be but briefly touched upon 
in this work. They originated in Germany, and 
the old Van Syckel home, "Ea Grande Sanzelle," 



436 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



in Ghent, standing in 1338, is in a fair state of 
preservation and is now owned by M. LeCompte 
Theurry De Linburg Stirnn, ex-member of the 
Belgium parliament. The forefather of our sub- 
ject was one Victor Van Syckel, who left his 
home in Ghent' in 1566, on account of religious 
persecution, as he was a Protestant, and came to 
America, where he and his posterity might be 
"free to worship God" according to the dictates 
of their conscience. He settled in Flushing L- I. 

As previously stated, the farm now in the pos- 
session of Joseph Van Syckel was purchased by 
his grandfather, the former owner having been 
Robert Taylor. The place comprises one hundred 
and thirteen acres, well adapted for general farm- 
ing and stock raising. An old building which 
stands on the place was erected by one David 
Reynolds in 1753 and on the corner-stone is the 
date, August 3, 1753. It was used as a hotel 
by the grandfather and by the father of our sub- 
ject and was one of the landmarks of former days. 
It was remodelled slightly by grandfather Van 
Syckel, and is about as it was during his time. 
It is in a very good condition, notwithstanding the 
century and a half that have elapsed since its con- 
struction, and is now occupied by tenants. 

The boyhood of Joseph Van Syckel passed 
quietly upon this homestead, his education being 
obtained in the district school two and a-half 
miles distant. At the age of fifteen he entered 
his father's store (which building had been put 
up by his grandfather about the date of his loca- 
tion here, in 1800) and together they managed 
the business until 1853, when the younger man 
purchased the senior's interest and conducted the 
enterprise alone five years longer. Since then 
he has had charge of the old farm, giving his 
personal supervision to every department of its 
work. In former years he was very active and 
aggressive in the promotion of the interests of 
the Democracy, but was never an office-seeker, 
as he preferred that his friends should be in 
power, rather than himself. For half a century 
he has been a valued pillar in the Clinton Presby- 
terian Church. 

The first marriage of Mr. Van Syckel was 



solemnized June 16, 1842, with Catherine Innes 
Smith, daughter of John Smith, a farmer of 
Warren County, of which both he and Mrs. Van 
Syckel were natives. Two children were born to 
this union: John S., who lived to be thirty-five 
years of age, and Helen, whose death occurred at 
the age of fourteen months. Mrs. Van Syckel 
departed this life June 13, 1855. February 9, 
1858, our subject married Cyrena, daughter of 
Judge John and Cyrena (Darwin) Martin, of 
Columbiana, County, N. Y. The judge was very 
influential and prominent, was justice of the peace 
for twenty-five years, was an associate judge for 
ten years and was one of three commissioners 
appointed by the courts to settle the value of 
disputed lands crossed by the Hudson River 
Railroad, at the time of its construction from 
Albany to New York City. He was a captain of 
a volunteer company and saw active service in 
the War of 18 12, in Long Island. The children 
of Mr. Van Syckel and his wife, Cyrena, were: 
Frank, born March 14, 1859, and Kate, August 
11, i860. The son died January 20, 1864, and 
the daughter is the wife of Robert S. Martin, 
secretary and treasurer of the Real Estate and 
Investment Company of Philadelphia. Mrs. Van 
Syckel is a devoted member of the church that 
her husband is connected with and was one of the 
founders of the Society of Colonial Dames of New 
Jersey. The society has its headquarters in 
Trenton, and Mrs. Bedle, wife of the ex-governor, 
is president of the organization. 



|~" RANK M. COOK, M. D. , is one of the lead- 
f3 ing and wide-awake business men of Hack- 
I ettstowu, Warren Count}', of which place 
he is a native son. For several years he has been 
very successfully engaged in the real-estate and 
insurance business here, and is on the high road 
to prosperity and fortune. In social circles he 
and his good wife are deservedly popular, and 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



4 §7 



their pleasant home is frequently the scene of 
happy, cheerful gatherings of the best towns- 
people. 

The doctor was born December 31, 1858, being 
a son of Dr. Joseph S. Cook, who was likewise a 
native of Hackettstown. The latter received a 
superior education and graduated from Union 
College of New York City, taking the honors of 
his class and having the gold medal bestowed 
upon him. Later he graduated from the medical 
department of the University of Pennsylvania 
and was appointed honorary physician of St. 
Joseph's Hospital of Philadelphia. After occupy- 
ing that position about a year he located in 
Hackettstown. At the end of another year or so 
he removed to Washington, N. J., where he was 
very successfully engaged in practice for a num- 
ber of years. He married Miss Mary Caroline 
Hunt, of Schooley's Mountain, Morris County, 
N. J., and she is still living. Her father, Rev. 
H. W. Hunt, was professor of Latin and Greek 
in Princeton College at one time and later was a 
minister in the Presbyterian Church. Of the 
five children born to Dr. J. S. Cook and wife our 
subject is the eldest; Laura W. is the widow of 
Augustus Hann, and is a graduate of the Balti- 
more Medical College; Fannie H. is the wife of 
William S. Rittenhouse, cashier of a bank in 
Washington, N. J.; Whitfield died when young; 
and Lizzie died at the age of sixteen years. 

The boyhood of Frank M. Cook passed very 
happily in Washington, N. J., where he was a 
student in the public schools. Later he attended 
the Collegiate Seminary of this place, and finally 
matriculated in the Baltimore College of Physi- 
cians and Surgeons. There he pursued the four 
years' course, and after his graduation located in 
Washington, where he was engaged in practice 
some nine years. In 1893 ne removed with his 
family to his old home in Hackettstown, and 
has since been engaged in the real-estate and 
brokerage business in connection with fire in- 
surance. He is a commissioner of deeds, and 
negotiates loans, collects a great many mortgages, 
and is doing a thriving business. 

February 25, 1885, Dr. Cook married Miss 



Rose W. Stryker, of German Valley, N. J., and 
they have one child, a bright, manly little fellow 
of eleven years, Claude Earl by name. He is 
president of the Yellow Ribbon Society, organized 
for the improvement of the appearance of the 
streets of Hackettstown; each member to take 
especial pains to keep the streets free from scraps of 
paper and other litter and to try to induce others 
to assist in this good work, and the secondary 
object being the financial aid of the needy. Over 
one hundred and twenty-five members signed the 
constitution and by-laws of this society, which was 
organized and sent forth on its mission of good 
to this community, at the home of Dr. F. M. 
Cook, December 25, 1897. On that occasion one 
hundred and four little ones, between the ages of 
two and twelve years, responded to the kindly 
invitation to partake of the Christmas cheer and 
festivities provided for them by the good doctor 
and wife and some of their friends who were in 
sympathy with the work. Dr. Cook was unan- 
imously voted to be "the very best man in the 
town" by the appreciative children, and all pres- 
ent thoroughly enjoyed their evident pleasure. 

For the benefit of those of our readers who are 
unfamiliar with the plan of work of the Yellow 
Ribbon Society of Hackettstown we present its 
constitution and by-laws: 

PREAMBLE. 
For our mutual interests in the improvement 
of the appearance of our streets, by each member 
keeping the streets clean of paper and small 
articles that litter them, and by trying to induce 
others to assist us in our work, and for the 
financial aid of the needy, the undersigned do 
form themselves into this society. 

ARTICLE I. 

TITLE. 

The name of this society shall be ' 'The Yellow 
Ribbon Society." 

ARTICLE II. 

OFFICERS. 

The officers of this society shall consist of a 
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer 



488 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and Board of Directors of seven members. Board 
of Directors elected for life; officers for one year. 

ARTICLE III. 

DUTIES OF OFFICERS. 

The President shall be under sixteen years of 
age, and be present at all meetings. 

The Vice President shall preside at all meet- 
ings, but in event of his absence, the Treasurer 
shall act in his stead. 

The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of 
the proceedings of each meeting, and be prepared 
to read them at notice. 

The Treasurer shall receive all moneys and 
keep all accounts, and be prepared to submit his 
accounts to the Board of Directors at any time. 

The Board of Directors shall act with the of- 
ficers when matters of importance are to be de- 
cided, such as election of new members, new di- 
rectors, etc. 

ARTICLE IV. 

COMMITTEES. 

The President shall appoint three standing com- 
mittees: The Executive Committee; the Finance 
Committee; the Entertainment Committee. 

ARTICLE V. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

Membership is not restricted by nationality, 
religious beliefs, political, social or financial stand- 
ing. 

Sec. i. Little Worker membership: Any child 
from two to sixteen years of age who is in need of 
financial assistance, by appointment by the Board 
of Directors and by registering. 

Sec. 2. Active membership: Any person above 
two years of age may become a member by a two- 
thirds vote of the Board of Directors. 

Sec. 3. Life membership: Any person of good 
repute, on the introduction of a member of the 
Board of Directors and payment of one dollar an- 
nually. 

ARTICLE VI. 

ORDER. 

The proceedings shall be governed by the rules 
of order governing such societies. 



ARTICLE VII. 

EXPULSION OF MEMBERS. 

For sufficient reason any member ma;' be ex- 
pelled by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Di- 
rectors. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

TIME OF MEETINGS. 

Whenever called by five or more members of 
the Board of Directors. 

ARTICLE IX. 

AMENDMENTS. 

The constitution may be altered or amended 
at any meeting by a two thirds vote of the mem- 
bers of the Board of Directors. 

ARTICLE X. 

EMBLEM 

Shall consist of a white button with pin and 
yellow ribbon, with "Yellow Ribbon Society, 
Hackettstown, N. J.," on face of same. 

BY-LAWS. 

Rule i. All members shall remove all paper 
and other rubbish from the streets. 

Rule 2. All papers and other articles re- 
moved shall be burned in the stove at the home 
of the member or buried. 

Rule 3. Little Workers shall attend all feasts 
and Christmas-tree entertainments. 

Rule 4. All moneys collectable when pre- 
sented to the Treasurer or any member of the 
Board of Directors. All funds to be at the disposal 
of the Entertainment Committee for the benefit of 
the Little Workers or need}- families in the 
vicinity. 

Rule 5. Order of business: 

Call to order. 

Music. 

Roll call. 

Reading of minutes. 

Correspondence. 

Report of officers. 

Report of committees. 

Election of members. 

New business. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



489 



Recitations. 

Orations. 

Criticisms. 

Honorable mention. 

Feast. 

Music. 

Adjournment. 

Signed by: 
Claude E. Cook, 
Mrs. F. M. Cook, 
Dr. F. M. Cook, 
H. C. C. Osmun, 
H. D. Fitts, 
W. H. Godwin, 
Mrs. W. H. Godwin, 
Mrs. H. D. Fitts, 
Miss Tobin, 
James Braut, 
Mrs. James Brant, 
Miss C. Bentley, 



Leroy Brant, 
G. P. Curtis, 
Adra Fitts, 
Emma Fitts, 
Egbert Rittenhouse, 
Frank Smith, 
Frank Reese, 
Louis Cooke, 
William McClellan, 
George Van Duzer, 
Augustus Schenck, 
Edward Osmun, 



And one hundred and four others. 



30HN H. GRIFFITH, M. D., ex-mayor of 
Phillipsburg, Warren County, N. J., is one 
of the prominent citizens of this great com- 
monwealth, and is entitled to a place in her his- 
tory. He is much thought of in this town, where 
he has dwelt since 1870, and here the most useful 
and active years of, his -manhood have been spent. 
In every local enterprise and every proposed 
new industry calculated to benefit the commun- 
ity he takes great interest and endeavors to foster 
in material ways by his means and influence. The 
old saying "Live not to thyself alone," has cer- 
tainly been exemplified in his career, and though 
his large practice makes great demands upon his 
time, he has always devoted much thought and 
work to outside matters that he deemed worthy. 
In 1880 he was one of a committee who wrote 
the history of the medical men of Warren County, 



past and present, the object of which valuable 
work was to rescue from public oblivion the 
memory of many of the pioneers of the profes- 
sion in this section of the state. 

As the name implies to the student of nomen- 
clature, the Griffiths originated in Wales. An 
ancestor of our subject, Dr. John Griffith, was 
one of the incorporators of the Medical Society 
of New Jersey, the oldest society of the kind in 
the United States. In tracing the annals of the 
family it is a matter of note that such a large pro- 
portion of its members have adorned the legal 
and medical professions. Another fact to which 
our subject may point with just pride is the fact 
that one of his forefathers was a signer of the Dec- 
laration of Independence. His father, James V., 
was a native of Monmouth County, N. J., and 
followed agricultural pursuits. His wife bore 
the maiden name of Sarah P. Woolley. She is 
living, aged seventy-eight years, and eight of her 
ten children survive, the eldest being the gentle- 
man of whom we write. The father died in 1883. 
Martha and Sarah, the two eldest sisters, are un- 
married; Jacob is a resident of Rochester, N. Y. ; 
Hattie is the wife of Charles Atwood, of Albany, 
N. Y.; Clara is Mrs. Bruce Gordon, of Mon- 
mouth County, N. J. ; William A. lives in Brook- 
lyn, N. Y. ; and James Percival is a citizen of 
Phillipsburg. On the maternal side the)- are of 
English-Dutch descent. 

Dr. J. H. Griffith was born in Monmouth 
County, N. J., July 3, 1S42, and during his 
youth gave much of his time to assisting his 
father in the management of the old homestead. 
His higher education was gained in the New 
Jersey Classical and Scientific Institute of 
Hightstown, N. J., and Pennington Seminar}', 
of New Jersey. Having taught school success- 
fully for seven years he concluded to enter the 
medical profession, and began his studies along 
this line with Dr. Charles Bartolette, of Milford, 
N. J., in 1865, and later was under the supervis- 
ion of Dr. George T. Ribble, of said place. Dur- 
ing the winters of 1866, 1867 and 1868 he at- 
tended lectures in Bellevue Hospital Medical 
College, of New York City, and graduated from 



490 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa., 
March 12, 1870. Soon after this event he settled 
in Phillipsburg, and was soon enjoying an excel- 
lent patronage. Succeeding Dr. Johnson as 
reporter in the District Medical Society of War- 
ren County, he has also served as a delegate to 
the State Medical Society and has kept in touch 
with the leading minds of the profession in all 
practicable ways. In 1871 he was city physican 
here, in 1882 and 1883 was maj'or, and from 1887 
to 1894 was a school commissioner. In the sub- 
ject of local history he has been very greatly 
interested, and for years he has been an official 
member of the New Jersey Historical Society. 
He is, perhaps, as much of an authority on the 
subject of our state history as any other man 
to-day, and has in his private library the records 
of sixteen of the twenty-one counties in the state, 
besides much other local and national material. 
Some of the patriotic spirits of this vicinity have 
been striving to secure sufficient funds to erect a 
monument to the brave soldiers of the late war, 
in Phillipsburg, and the doctor is secretary of the 
committee appointed for this purpose. He is one 
of the three trustees of the Standard Silk Mills, 
which large plant employs nine hundred persons. 
Fraternally the doctor is past grand master of 
the Grand Dodge, I. O. O. F., of New Jersey, 
and is chairman of the judiciary committee of 
the grand lodge, having been elected in 1897. 
He is also past chancellor of the Knights of 
Pythias, and is a member of the Uniform Rank. 
In addition to those alread}' mentioned, he be- 
longs to the Royal Arcanum and is past regent 
and medical examiner. In 1896 the doctor was 
appointed one of the board of pension examiners 
for the four counties comprising the Fourth Con- 
gressional district. The marriage of Dr. Griffith 
and Ella K. Knowles was celebrated August 28, 
1869. She is a daughter of William and Susanna 
(Knight) Knowles of Pennsylvania, a Quaker by 
faith, and on her mother's side a descendant of a 
man by the name of Knight, who came to America 
with William Penn. Mrs. Griffith is president 
of the Phillipsburg Woman's Christian Temper- 
ance Union, and is very active in church and 



religious work. The doctor is president of the 
board of trustees of the Westminster Presbyterian 
Church, and his wife is also a member of that 
church. 



H~-S 02+>*$|p s '> t O • - 



EONOVER VAN SICKLE, who has led a 
very busy and active life in the commercial 
world, has been quietly making his home 
for the past few years upon a farm which he 
purchased, it being situated midway between 
Lebanon and Aunandale, in Hunterdon County. 
He is making a specialty of fruit growing, as he 
has about four thousand peach trees upon the 
place, and in the season of 1897 ne shipped about 
five thousand baskets of the luscious fruit to the 
city markets. 

Our subject comes from the old and highly 
respected Van Sickle family, whose name (var- 
iously spelled by its different members) appears 
so frequently on the pages of this volume, as be- 
ing foremost in the early history of Hunterdon 
County, and ever since then equally prominent. 
A son of Col. Andrew Van Sickle, who formerly 
owned the farm now in the possession of Mrs. Ram- 
sey, in this township, Conover Van Sickle was 
born February 1, 1847. His boyhood days were 
happily spent on the old home place, and in his 
youth he was a pupil in the schools of the neigh- 
borhood. Later he attended the Presbyterian 
Seminary of Blairstown, N. J., and the Kingston 
(Pa.) Commercial College, where he completed 
the business course, and received the degree of 
Master of Accounts, March 19, 1867. Previous 
to this, however, from i860 to 1865, he and his 
father were in business together, driving stock 
from western points and selling the same in east- 
ern markets. They made about two trips a year, 
sometimes going by the northern route, by way 
of Mansfield, in central Ohio, to Cleveland, and 
then to Buffalo by lake, and sometimes going by 
the southern route, through Wheeling, W. Va. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



491 



At the time of the battle of Gettysburg, they 
came near being captured while crossing the 
Three Brothers Mountains. 

Mr. Van Sickle continued more or less in the 
stock business up to 1873, when he embarked in 
general merchandising in High Bridge, in com- 
pany with his brother John and John Apgar, 
under the style of Van Sickles & Apgar. This 
concern is still carried on by the other two parties 
to it, though our subject withdrew in 1876. Re- 
turning to his old pursuit, he was, as formerly, 
engaged in the buying and selling of cattle until 
1 88 1. He then commenced traveling in the 
interests of E. Runyon's Nursery Company, of 
Hempetead, Tex., staying with that firm about a 
year, after which he went to Nebraska and started 
a ranch and cattle business. He was also con- 
cerned in grain speculation, in partnership with 
his brother-in-law, William H. Emery, and D. M. 
McClellan. They owned an elevator in Wahoo, 
Neb., the county seat of Sanders County, and 
were prospered in these several ventures. Mr. Van 
Sickle, however, did not like the west on many 
accounts, and though during his last year there 
they were obliged to increase the capacity of the 
elevator, he disposed of his share. He returned 
to Texas and his former employer, Mr. Runyon, 
for a period, traveling in Texas and Old Mexico, 
and selling nursery stock until the following 
Ma3 r , when he came back east. The next two 
years he was employed in selling lumber in Penn- 
sylvania and New Jersey for the house of Van 
Sickle & Kiuch, of which his father was the 
senior member. His next position was with 
Sleight, Field & Co., manufacturers of office 
equipments, their factory and main office being 
in Rochester, N. Y. 

In company with C. K. Judson of their firm, 
Mr. Van Sickle sold goods in Florida, Georgia, 
Virginia and at last had entire charge of the 
southern states. He was away from his home, 
which he had established in Washington, D. C, 
as long as a year sometimes. At length he was 
stricken with sciatic rheumatism while in Bir- 
mingham, Ala., and for ten weeks was in a help- 
less condition. He gave up his position with the 



company, and though they have repeatedly 
urged him to re-enter their employ, he has steadily 
refused the liberal inducements which they have 
held out. He purchased the farm upon which 
he is to be found to-day, and has settled down 
into a country gentleman, as were many of his 
ancestors before him. He gives his ballot to the 
nominees of the Democracy. October 30, 1875, 
he married Fannie L. Everett, daughter of David 
L- and Ellen L. ("Apgar) Everett, of this county. 
The}- had two children, but both died in infancy. 
They are members of the Reformed Church of 
Lebanon, and are respected and highly esteemed 
by all who have the pleasure of their acquaint- 
ance. 



ISAAC BARBER, the present representative 
of Warren County in the senate of New Jer- 
sey, was born at Forty Fort, Luzerne County, 
Pa., September 4, 1854, and is a physician by 
profession. His father, a native of Warren Coun- 
ty, removed to Pennsylvania in 1858. The 
senator received his early education in the public 
schools, entered Blair Presbyterial Academy to 
prepare for college in 1869, entered Lafayette in 
1872 and graduated in 1876. He studied medi- 
cine under the preceptorship of Professor Traill 
Green, of Easton, Pa., and graduated from the 
University of Pennsylvania in 1879. For one 
year he served as a medical referee in New York 
City for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Com- 
pany. 

In July, 1880, he located at Phillipsburg, and 
has since continued in active practice. He has 
served as city physician and as a member of the 
board of health for two years. He was appointed 
pension examining surgeon under the Cleveland 
administration July 18, 1893, and resigned June 
1, 1S97, to take up the duties of senator. He is 
of English extraction, a lineal descendant of John 
Barber, Esq., who settled in Warren County as 
early as 1735. He is a member of the various 



492 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



medical and fraternal societies, notably of Phil- 
lipsburg Lodge No. 395, B. P. O. E.; Montun 
Lodge No. 23, K. of P.; and Ortygia Company 
No. 10, U. R. K. of P., in which organization he 
fills the position of brigade surgeon. 



30HN T. COX, ex-sheriff of Hunterdon 
County, has been prominently connected 
with the political, social and agricultural 
history of this section for many years and is justly 
accounted one of our progressive citizens. He 
has always taken considerable interest in all 
measures affecting the general public welfare and 
strives to the full extent of his ability to do his 
duty as a patriotic son of this great common- 
wealth. In 1882 he was elected on the Repub- 
lican ticket to the responsible position of collector 
of Readington Township, his home district, and 
for six continuous years was re-elected, and only 
resigned in 1887, owing to the fact that he was 
elected to the position of sheriff. This office he 
acceptably filled for one term, giving general sat- 
isfaction to the opposition as well as to his own 
constituents. 

The father of the above-named citizen of Read- 
ington Township was Tunis V. M. Cox, a native 
of Somerset Count}', N. J., in which section of 
the state his ancestors had settled in the early 
history of the county. About 1845 Mr. Cox re- 
moved to Readington Township, and here was 
actively occupied in farming and carpentering 
until old age crept on. Originally a Whig, he 
joined the Republican party upon its organization 
and thenceforth was loyal in his fidelity to its 
principles. Pie lived to a ripe age, dying in 1S90. 
To himself and wife, formerly Phoebe Brokaw, 
also a native of Somerset County, seven children 
were born, of whom the following survive: Eliza- 
beth, wife of Thomas B. Bush, of this township; 
John T.; Sarah M., Mrs. W. H. Opie, of this 
vicinity; Phoebe, a resident of New York City; 



Meta F. , wife of Henry Van Fleet, of Somerville, 
N. J.; and Gretta M., Mrs. H. W. Leach, ot 
Westminster, Vt. 

The birth of John T. Cox occurred in this 
township, March 3, 1847, and his early days 
were passed upon the fine farm of one hundred 
acres where he now dwells. After completing his 
public-school education here he entered and later 
graduated from the People's Business College, 
in Reading, Pa. Since their, 1867, he has been 
actively occupied in the management of the old 
homestead which came into his possession about 
that time. Among the fraternities he is asso- 
ciated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows and belongs to the Adelphi Encampment of 
this order, at Flemington. He is a member of 
Readington Lodge No. 56, Patrons of Hus- 
bandry, and was at one time master of the same. 
At present he is officiating as master of the New 
Jersey State Grange, of the same society. 

June 8, 1867, Mr. Cox married Rachel E. Bush, 
a native of Hunterdon County, and daughter of 
Ephraim A. Bush, then a well and favorably 
known resident of this township, but since de- 
ceased. The marriage of our subject and wife 
has been blessed with seven children, viz.: John 
B. ; Jennie S., wife of Jacob H. Melick; Lydia H., 
wife of George W. Hall; Gretta M., Bertha F., 
Tunis V. M. and Bessie. The family have long 
been identified with the Reformed Church of 
Readington and are liberal contributors to the 
work of the congregation. 



HARRY C. C. OSMUN is a wide-awake, pro- 
gressive and popular young businessman of 
Hackettstown, Warren County. He is al- 
ways welcomed in the best society of this place, 
and by his unfailing courtesy, kindliness and 
cheery manner has won for himself a host of sin- 
cere friends. It was in 188S that he started in his 
present undertaking, the management of a coal 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



493 



and fuel yard, and the sale of grain and feed in 
connection with the other. In this venture he 
has been quite successful and is constant^ adding 
to his list of regular customers. 

In tracing the ancestry of the above it appears 
that his great-grandfather, Ziba Osmun, settled on 
the old homestead, now known as the Funace 
farm, in Mansfield Township, near Hackettstown, 
over a century ago. He was a farmer through- 
out life and w r as quite successful, as he left a large 
and valuable tract of land to his heirs at his death. 
It is supposed, though not positively known, that 
he was a native of England. The grandfather of 
our subject, William, was born on the old farm, 
and during his eighty-four years made his dwell- 
ing-place there. For a great many years he was 
an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and active 
in every good work. 

Joseph, father of H. C. C. Osmun, was born at 
the ancestral home, and in early manhood was in 
the produce business in Hackettstown. Later he 
was successfully occupied in the management of 
a wholesale grocery in Newark, N. J., for several 
years. The last years of his commercial career 
he was in the produce business once more. He 
died when about sixty-six years of age. In poli- 
tics he was a stanch Republican. For years an 
active member of the Presbyterian Church, he 
held the office of elder in the same for about 
twenty years. His wife bore the maiden name of 
Mary S. Coleman. She was a native of Morris 
County, N. J. , and lived to be sixty-eight years 
of age. She was greatly interested in the progress 
of religious work and was actively concerned in 
missionary endeavors. Of the ten children born 
of the marriage of our subject's parents, he alone 
survives. With the exception of one brother, 
Frank, who died at about twenty years of age, 
all of the brothers and sisters died in infancy or 
early childhood. 

The birth of Harry C. C. Osmun occurred in 
his present place of residence in this town Sep- 
tember 24, 1863. His public-school education 
was supplemented by a course in the Newark 
(N. J.) Business College, after leaving which in- 
stitution he was employed as a clerk for a year in 



a dry-goods house of this place. Desiring then 
to embark in financial enterprise upon his own 
account he entered into partnership with Charles 
Weber, being a silent member of the firm of Os- 
mun & Weber for the succeeding four years. 
At the expiration of that period he withdrew, 
selling out his interest in the business (jewelry 
and stationery) and invested his available funds 
in his present enterprise. The summer of 1895 
he traveled through Europe on his bicycle and 
had a most enjoyable trip. In local politics he 
has been quite active and in national affairs gives 
his stalwart support to the Republican party. 



ENRY A. ALLER, the present efficient 
postmaster of Lebanon, Hunterdon County, 
has also been interested in educational work 
in this immediate section for a quarter of a cen- 
tury, and is thoroughly posted on the subject. 
He has met with gratifying success in his chosen 
field of effort, than which there is no worthier, 
and is esteemed and looked up to by a multitude 
of his past pupils, many of whom have become 
noted in the various professions arid commercial 
undertakings of this county and other places. 
In 1894 he built his comfortable and pretty home 
in this town, and here he and his estimable wife 
are always happy to entertain their numerous 
friends. 

Henry A. Aller was named for his paternal 
grandfather, who was a sterling representative 
of an old and respected family- of this county. 
The father of our subject was Rev. Nathan Aller, 
born on the old Aller homestead in Hunterdon 
County. When he was a young man he removed 
to Montgomery County, Pa., where he met and 
married Hannah Owen, a daughter of Thomas 
Owen, a well-known farmer of that county. 
After preaching three years in Jeffersonville, Pa., 
Rev. Mr. Aller located in Pleasautville, Bucks 
County, where his son, Henry A., of this sketch, 



494 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



was born January io, 1851. He continued to 
dwell in that town twenty-one years, and thence 
returned to this, his native county, settling in 
Mount Pleasant, where he occupied a pulpit for 
eight years longer. He then retired from minis- 
terial work, his home being in Frenchtown, this 
count}', until he was called to his reward, July 4, 
1885. He was placed to rest in Newstone (now 
Bethlehem) Cemetery, near Clinton. His wife, 
Hannah, died April n, 1852, and subsequently 
he wedded Anna M. Shaw, the ceremony which 
united their destinies being performed April 30, 
1855. She is still living, her home being in Beth- 
lehem, Pa. She is the mother of four daughters, 
viz.: Sallie, wife of J. K. Gebhardt, of Brooklyn; 
Ida C; Iyillie; and Clara E., now Mrs. Elmer 
Weaver, of Allentown. Her only son is Rev. 
Nathan S., a Congregational minister of Rich- 
field Springs, N. Y. The marriage of Rev. 
Nathan Aller, Sr. , and Hannah Owen was 
blessed with three children, viz.: Henry A., 
Thomas O. and Hannah E., who were named for 
their respective grandparents. The latter is the 
wife of Edward H. Bellis, of Philadelphia. 

The boyhood of Henry A. Aller was spent at 
home, under the judicious and gentle teaching 
and training of his father. His education was 
liberal, being partly acquired in the public 
schools and partly in private institutions of learn- 
ing. He was but nineteen when he entered upon 
what was to be his life occupation, and for this 
he seemed peculiarly fitted from the start. For a 
few years he was employed in the district schools, 
and at the end of one year spent in Pennsylvania 
in pedagogic work he removed to this count}', 
where he has since remained. He has taught 
many different schools, and for thirteen consecu- 
tive years was situated in Round Valley. Since 
188 1 he has made his dwelling place in Lebanon, 
and has taught here two years. An independent 
thinker, Mr. Aller departed from the traditions of 
his forefathers, and believing that the principles of 
the Republican party more fully coincided with 
his views of the measures best suited for our gov- 
ernment's prosperity, he has advocated its plat- 
form and nominees. He has occupied numerous 



local positions of responsibility and honor, always 
meeting the duties imposed upon him with credit. 
During his residence here he has been clerk of 
this township, for three years was a member of 
the board of registry and was a census enumera- 
tor in 1890 for this locality. 

December 27, 1SS1, Mr. Aller married Matilda 
Y., daughter of Peter and Jerusha (Yawger) 
Rockafellar, of old county families. The two 
children of Mr. and Mrs. Aller are Edith R. and 
Clarence E. For a number of years the family 
has been identified with the Lebanon Reformed 
Church. 



"-} ••2-'/uQ^'[fC;t- 



NIRAM RITTENHOUSE has been identified 
with the history of Kingwood Township, 
Hunterdon County, during the latter half of 
the nineteenth century. Since 1877 he has made 
his home on the James Ashcroft farm near Bar- 
bertown, which he purchased in that year and on 
which he has since resided, engaging in general 
farm pursuits and dairying. As a citizen he is 
progressive, earnestly championing all measures 
that will advance the prosperity of the township. 
During his nineteen years of service as overseer of 
roads he opened and improved public highways, 
and kept all the roads in his district in first-class 
condition. Politically he favors Democratic prin- 
ciples. 

The father of our subject, Garner Rittenhouse, 
was born in 1808 tipon the farm where S. M. 
Rittenhouse now resides. He spent his entire 
life in Kingwood Township and was one of the 
largest and most prosperous farmers of his day. 
Though not active in politics, he was a stanch 
Democrat and always voted that ticket. In re- 
ligious connections he was identified with the 
Presbyterian Church, in which faith he passed 
from earth in 1863, at the age of fifty-five years. 
His father, Nathaniel Rittenhouse, was one of the 
best-known farmers in Kingwood Township, 
where he died at the aa;e of eitrhtv. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



495 



By the marriage of Garner Rittenhouse to Mar}' 
Ann Hoff, daughter of Cornelius Hoff, nine chil- 
dren were born, named as follows: Hannah; 
Anne E. ; Lucinda, wife of John Lair; Mary Jane, 
who married Richard Ashcroft; Isabel, wife of 
Peter Taylor; Cornelius, Hiram, Whitfield and 
John D. The early years in the life of our sub- 
ject were spent on the old Rittenhouse homestead, 
now owned by Richard Ashcroft. His education 
was obtained in the common schools of the neigh- 
borhood, which he attended when not needed 
upon the farm. In 1876, leaving home and em- 
barking independently for himself, he bought the 
place where he now resides. Politically he has 
adopted for his own the principles of the party 
favored by his father and grandfather, and, like 
them in religion, he adheres to Presbyterian 
doctrines. 

The marriage of Mr. Rittenhouse took place in 
this township December 1, 1876, and united him 
with Miss Sallie Anne Ashcroft, daughter of James 
Ashcroft, Sr. Two children were born of their 
union, of whom one is living, Clarence J., who is 
at home and assists his father in the cultivation of 
the farm. Harry L. died May 27, 1896. 



30SEPH RAMSEY is one of the citizens of 
Hunterdon County who has been literally the 
architect of his own fortunes. In his early 
manhood he started without a"ny financial backing 
to make a place for himself, and well has he suc- 
ceeded. The secret of his success is the only true 
secret of success in any undertaking whatever — 
" work, and plenty of it " — for prosperity almost 
never crowns a lazy man, and in this country, 
with few exceptions, the man who works perse- 
veringly and industriously is the man who wins. 
The birth of our subject occurred on Christmas 
day, 1 83 1, in Clinton Township, Hunterdon 
County, he being a sou of Joseph and Anna 
(Jones) Ramsey. The father was likewise a na- 



tive of that vicinity and followed the occupation 
of a farmer during his whole life-time. He had 
two other children, James and Elizabeth, Mrs. 
Elijah Hoffman. Our subject was reared upon 
his father's farm and was a pupil in the public 
schools until he had mastered the elementary 
branches of knowledge. 

October 5, 1854, Joseph Ramsey was united in 
marriage with Susan C. Johnson, who was born 
in this county, and was the daughter of T. T. 
Johnson, a prosperous farmer. Their union has 
been blessed with eleven children and all but one 
of the number are still living. James is a farmer 
of this community; Mahlon resides in Clinton 
Township; Cora J. married John Hummer, who 
was station agent in Flemington and later was in 
the lumber business there until his death, August 
9, 1894; Mary is at home; John is operating a 
sawmill and lumber business near Goldsborough, 
Pa. ; Sarah C. is the wife of Richard Fisher, agent 
for the New Jersey Central Railroad in Fan wood, 
N. J.; Margaret is the wife of George N. Clark, 
of Clinton Township; Joseph is his father's as- 
sistant on the farm; Ella C. is at home; and San- 
ford R. is a student at Lebanon. 

At the time of his marriage Joseph Ramsey 
rented a farm and continued so to do some nine 
years, after which he bought the place where he 
has since made his abode. At first he purchased 
but eighty-eight acres, later adding to it until 
he now owns one hundred and twenty-three acres. 
For a quarter of a century he has bought and 
shipped milk, and in 1880 built a creamery, 
which has proved a profitable investment. For 
the past few years he has given some time to the 
raising of standard-bred Poland-China hogs, and 
he has a fine drove of them now on his farm. He 
owns the celebrated road mare Lucy, bred by 
himself, of Kentucky and Arabian running stock. 
She is a magnificent specimen of horse-flesh, and 
though many a man has been very desirous to 
purchase her Mr. Ramsey has resisted even very 
high prices which have been offered him. 

During a period of twenty years Mr. Ramsey 
has been connected with the Reformed Church as 
a member, and for eight years of this time he has 



496 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



been an elder in the congregation. He uses his 
right of franchise in favor of the platform and can- 
didates of the Democracy, but is liberal in his 
political standing, preferring to support the can- 
didate who in his estimation is best fitted for the 
office, irrespective of his political tendencies. 



30HN H. VESCETIUS is the proprietor of 
one of the largest and most finely equipped 
dry-goods stores in Hackettstowu, and has 
been numbered among the enterprising business 
men of this place for many years. He possesses 
those qualities of untiring energy, persevering 
attention to business in every detail, clear 
judgment and correct principles of action that 
rarely fail to bring success. The unfailing in- 
terest that he maintains in regard to all local 
concerns and improvements is another of the 
characteristics of our subject that endear him to 
the people, and not infrequently has he sacrificed 
his own personal wishes and plans in order that 
they might be benefited. 

Our subject's great-grandfather (who spelled 
his name Viesselius) was a native of Germany and 
emigrated to this country as early as 1749. He 
was a physician by profession and settled in 
Amwell Township, Hunterdon County, N. J. 
In 1760 he took out naturalization papers and in 
1767 he passed away. He left two children, 
Hendrick and Andrus. The latter married Lena 
Van Sickle, and their one child, George Andrew, 
born in March, 1783, married October 12, 1806, 
Gertrude (Charity) Heldebrant, who died in 1850. 
They were the parents of seven children, namely: 
John, who married Catherine Field and had a 
family of seven children; Helen, born September 
28, 1 80S, unmarried; Isaac, who married Ellen 
Vandervoort and resided at Middle Valley and 
Paterson, N. J.; Andrew, a resident of Newark, 
N. J.; Hiram, born January 15, 1S15, who mar- 
ried Mary Miller, of Penwell, Warren County, 



N. J.; Oliver, our subject's father; and Aaron, 
of Forest Hill, Newark, N. J., who married Mary 
Ann Miller. 

Oliver Vescelius was born in Hunterdon 
Count}' November 18, 18 16. November 2, 1843, 
he married Margaret C. Swackhamer, by whom 
he had one child, Margaret S., born May 9, 1845. 
His first wife died May 11, 1S45. He was again 
married, his wife being Augeline H. Sharpe, who 
was born in German Valley, Morris County, N. J. , 
and by whom he had five children: Isaac S., born 
July 7, 1848, and married to Elizabeth A. Apgar, 
September 23, 1873; Amelia M., born August 25, 
1850, and married to J. W. Opdyke September 
16, 1875; John H., born in Fairmount, Hunter- 
don Count}', March 23, 1854, and married to 
Ella A. Carr October 19, 1882; Dennis S., born 
July 22, 1855, died March 28, 1856; and Edna 
M., born January 19, 1857, and married to 
Austin Sutton January 6, 1881. 

The whole life of Oliver Vescelius was spent 
in Fairmount and vicinity, in early manhood 
he being financially occupied in a mercantile un- 
dertaking, and later owner of a large tannery. 
He voted for the candidates of the Republican 
party and religiously was a Presbyterian. His 
death occurred August 4, 1889, at the ripe age of 
seventy-two years ten months and sixteen days. 
For several years he was a trustee in the church 
to which he belonged, but aside from that never 
held any position of greater or less importance, 
as he did not desire to do so. His faithful help- 
mate, friend and companion along life's journey 
did not long survive him, as she died five months 
later, aged sixty- four years. She was also a 
devoted member of the Presbyterian Church. 
The father of Oliver Vescelius was also a native 
of Fairmount, and carried on a tannery there for 
many years. He was an elder in the Presbyterian 
Church. 

The elementary education of our subject was 
that of the district schools, in which he was an 
apt pupil. When he was fourteen he began to 
attend the select school in German Valley, and 
continued there for about two years. Sub- 
sequently he came to Hackettstowu, and here 




W. H. VAIL, M. D. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



499 



obtained his initial experience in the business 
world as a clerk in a general store. The first 
year he received his board and $50 in money. 
After working for the firm of Shields & Karr 
about six years, during which period he had 
proved his fidelity to every duty imposed upon 
his youthful shoulders, he left them and traveled 
to some extent during the next five months, 
while he was making up his mind where he 
should permanently settle. Eventually he re- 
turned, and was employed as a clerk for a 
period of four years. May 6, 1882, he opened 
the store which he has since conducted with in- 
creasing success. In 1895 he added largely to his 
stock of goods, enlarged his store and made 
various other improvements according to the 
modern ideas. He is an adherent of the Repub- 
lican party and is a member of Independent 
Lodge No. 42, F. & A. M., of this place. Relig- 
iously he is a Presbyterian, and is one of the 
members and trustees of the church here. 

Mr. Vescelius married Miss Ella Amelia Carr, 
born October 20, 1857, a daughter of John R. 
and Eliza (Fleming) Carr, whose sketch will be 
found in another part of this volume. Two sons 
and one daughter have blessed the union of our 
subject and wife: Alden R., born October 4, 
1883; Clarence H., September 13, 1885; and 
AnnaE., February 21, 1892. 



©GjILLIAM H. VAIL, M. D. The gentle- 
\ A / man whose name stands at the head of this 
V V article is one of Blairstown's most esteemed 
and respected citizens. For the past twelve years 
he has been the trusted private secretary of John 
I. Blair, the railway magnate, he having suc- 
ceeded his brother, Charles E. Vail, in this re- 
sponsible position. For nearly two decades pre- 
viously he was engaged actively in the practice 
of his profession at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, 
N. Y. 



In tracing the history of Dr. Vail, we find that 
his birth took place in Stroudsburg, Pa., in 1845. 
His father, Dr. William Penn Vail, was a native 
of Morris County, N. J., and for many years 
practiced medicine in Johnsonburg, N. J. In 
1836 he removed to Stroudsburg, where for a 
period of ten years he enjoyed a very large and 
paying practice. Returning then to his former 
home in Johnsonburg he continued actively in 
practice until 1872, when failing health caused 
his retirement from such arduous labors. His last 
years were quietly and happily passed in the 
home of his son-in-law, Theodore F. Johnson, in 
Orange, N. J. He departed this life February 
12, 1S89, at the ripe age of eighty-five years. 
His active work in his chosen field of aiding the 
sick and suffering extended over forty-five years. 
Before he took up this branch of activity he 
worked as a machinist in his brother's shop at 
Speedwell, N. J., and was employed in the manu- 
facture of the boilers that were placed in the 
celebrated Savannah, the first steamship that 
crossed the Atlantic Ocean. For sixty years he 
was a valued member of the Presbyterian Church. 
When he lived in Stroudsburg he was an officer 
in the church there and upon his return to John- 
sonburg he was made an elder in the old Yellow 
Frame Church there. Frequently he was sent as 
a delegate to the Newton presbytery and to the 
general assembly of the denomination. A fervent 
believer in the cause of Christianity and tem- 
perance, he also held it to be the duty of every 
man to discharge his duties as a citizen by using 
his franchise in behalf of the right, the true, the 
good; and he ever sought to support only those 
who, in his estimation, were entirely worthy of 
public trust. 

December 28, 1830, occurred the marriage of 
William Penn Vail and Sarah Locke, a sister of 
the late Mrs. John I. Blair. To the union of 
Dr. and Mrs. Vail seven children were born. 
Horace and Charles each died when about fifty 
years of age; Annie E. is the wife of Theodore F. 
Johnson; Emma E. died in 1S96; Sarah L. is the 
wife of Dr. T. Y. Sutphen, of Newark, N. J.; 
John D. is the postmaster at Blairstown; and 



21 



500 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



William H. completes the number. Charles E. 
was the private secretary of John I. Blair for 
over thirty years. Mrs. Sarah Locke Vail died 
in 1873. 

At the time the family removed to Johnsonburg 
the subject of this article was but a small child. 
He prepared for college in Blair Academy, and in 
1865 graduated from Princeton, after which he 
took up the study of medicine. In 1869 he grad- 
uated from the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons in New York City and received the degree 
of M. D. He located for practice at Cornwall-on- 
the-Hudson, where he remained for seventeen 
years, until he was offered the position made 
vacant by the death of his brother. Since that 
time he has been the confidential adviser and 
secretary of John I. Blair. He is a director in 
the Belvidere National Bank and in the - New 
Jersey Industrial School for colored youths at 
Bordentown, N. J. He is also secretary and 
treasurer of the board of directors of the Blair 
Presbyterian Academy. 

Those familiar with the advance that has been 
made in educational matters in the northern por- 
tion of New Jersey during the past sixty years 
know how much of this progress is due to the 
efforts of this branch of the Vail family, beginning 
with William Penn Vail. As a remembrancer of 
this fact, as well as of another, that Dr. William 
Penn Vail was always the friend of the down- 
trodden everywhere, and consequently of the 
colored race, William H. Vail has erected during 
the past year (in his native state) at Lincoln Uni- 
versity in Pennsylvania a Vail memorial library. 
This edifice, costing $20,000, is fireproof through- 
out and will accommodate fifty thousand volumes, 
besides containing a commodious reading room 
and affording ample room in the basement for 
bowling alleys and light gymnastic apparatus. 

For twenty years Dr. Vail has been an elder in 
the Presbyterian Church, a part of this time be- 
fore he came to Blairstown, while his home was at 
Corn wall-on-the- Hudson. Politically he is a 
stanch Republican. In 1872 he married Caroline, 
daughter of Dr. Cyrus Haulin, president of 
Robert College, Constantinople. Mrs. Vail died 



in 1887, leaving four children, and one, Marion 
Locke, had died a year before. The others are 
Henrietta L-, Cyrus H., Charles E. and Arthur 
W. The doctor afterward married Mrs. Uhle, 
widow of Charles Uhle, M. D., by whom she had 
two sous, J. Horton and Charles R. 



Gj RCHIBALD STEWARD TAYLOR, captain 
I I in the United States Marine Corps, now re- 
/ ) tired from the service, is quietly spending 
his time with his family in his home known as 
the old King Farm, in Union Township, Hunter- 
don County. His career has been a very active 
and eventful oiie, comprising, as it has done, life 
in the army and navy, travel to distant lands 
while on board ship, and numerous adventures 
and narrow escapes from disease, death and peril 
in various forms. He is an entertaining conver- 
sationalist, and a brief history of his life will 
prove of interest to many of his friends and ac- 
quaintances. 

The captain was born in Warren County, 
N. J., in 1840, being a son of George W. Taylor, 
to whom we will refer at length later in this arti- 
cle. The early life of the lad was passed in the 
vicinity of Clinton, this county, to which locality 
his parents removed when he was a few years 
old. After leaving the public schools he entered 
the University at Norwich, Vt. , and in 1856 
graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science 
from that institution of learning. In 1S60 he 
went to California, chiefly for the pleasure of the 
journey and for the sake of seeing something of 
the country, but he finally remained there until 
the breaking out of the Civil war. Returning 
home he was commissioned first lieutenant in 
Company E, First Regiment of New Jersey 
Infantry, and for some time served upon his 
father's staff and took part in numerous engage- 
ments in which the brigade was concerned. He 
resigned January 21, 1863, and returned to his 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5°i 



home, and earl}' in the following year he was 
ordered to appear before the examining board in 
Washington for examination as to his fitness for 
the position of second lieutenant in the marine 
corps. 

The result was satisfactory to the higher 
powers, for he was duly appointed to the office 
July 2, 1864, and, after being stationed at Wash- 
ington for six months, was sent to the navy yard 
on Mare Island, California, where he remained 
until 1868. He was then ordered to the sloop-of- 
war Tuscorora, South Pacific squadron, under 
command of Rear Admiral Thomas Turner, and 
remained in the Pacific waters about a year and 
a-half. The ship was then ordered to join the 
North Atlantic squadron at Key West, for opera- 
tions off Cuba. At the end of three years the 
captain was detached and ordered to the coast of 
California the second time, remaining there until 
1874, when he was detached and ordered to duty 
in the navy yard in Philadelphia. In the early 
part of the ensuing summer he was ordered on 
board the United States training ship Minne- 
sota, as instructor of naval apprentices. On the 
3d of September, 1878, he was detached from the 
Minnesota, and was ordered to the Ouinnebaug, 
N. H. Farquhar commander, European squadron, 
where he remained three years. June 13, 1881, 
he was ordered to dut}' at League Island, Phila- 
delphia, and remained there until September 9, 
1882, when he was detached and ordered to Pen- 
sacola, Fla., remaining on duty there for two 
years. During a yellow fever epidemic he lost a 
large number of his command. His next service 
was on the Lancaster, flag ship European squad- 
ron. At the end of eight months he was ordered 
to the coast of Brazil and South Africa, cruising 
there for over two years, during which time the 
ship sailed along the eastern and western shores of 
the dark continent. In 1S90 he was detached 
from the Lancaster, and ordered again to duty at 
League Island, Philadelphia, where he continued 
until June 17, 1890, and then retired from active 
service. 

In 1882 Captain Taylor married Miss Mary J. 
Holcombe, daughter of Isaac M. Holcombe. He 



has one son, Carleton, now attending school at 
Plainfield, N. J. He takes no active part in 
political affairs, being independent of party ties. 
His wife is identified with the Episcopal Church. 

Gen. George W. Taylor, father of the subject 
of this article, entered the United States Navy 
service during Jackson's administration, as mid- 
shipman, and made his last cruise on board of the 
sloop-of-war Fairfield, in the Mediterranean squad- 
ron. After resigning from the navy he was occu- 
pied in business affairs in Clinton, N. J., until 
the war with Mexico was declared. He volun- 
teered his services and was commissioned lieuten- 
ant in the Tenth United States Infantry, and 
took part in the operations of General Taylor, 
along the Rio Grande. Later he was raised to the 
rank of captain for gallantry and daring, and 
served as such until the close of the war, in the 
regiment commanded by Colonel Temple. Then 
he went to California in the interests of the New 
Jersey Transportation and Mining Company, of 
which he was made the president, and stayed on 
the Pacific slope for about three years. He was a 
son of Archibald Steward Taylor, who was the 
owner of the High Bridge Iron Works, having 
inherited the same from his father, Robert Taylor. 
The latter was a native of north Ireland, and 
came to America about 1758, and became the 
superintendent and later proprietor of the iron 
works before mentioned. George W. Taylor 
and his brother Lewis managed this property for 
several years, or until the Civil war came on. 
He married Mary King, whose father was at one 
time the owner of more land in Hunterdon 
County than any other resident, and who also 
established the linseed-oil works at Kingston. 
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor became the parents of eight 
children, two of whom are now deceased. Caro- 
line is the wife of Rev. J. A. Blauvelt; and Eliza- 
beth is the wife of Clifford White. The three 
brothers of our subject are William K., Edward 
and George W. The mother died when about 
seventy years of age. 

Being well qualified by his previous experience 
in the Mexican war, George W. Taylor was com- 
missioned colonel of the Third Regiment of New 



r- 



5° 2 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Jersey Infantry, soon after he reported for duty 
in the late war. He served in the brigade of 
Gen. Philip Kearney, First Brigade, Sixth Army 
Corps, and was encamped at Fairfax Seminary 
during the winter of 1861. He then took part in 
the general operations against Yorktown, and 
with his forces then embarked on transports 
which conveyed them to West Point, where they 
engaged the division commanded by General 
Whiting. Next he went with the advance guard 
of the army under command of General Stone- 
man and later took part in the battles of Mechan- 
icsville and Fair Oaks, and the seven-days' cam- 
paign after the evacuation of Yorktown. He 
was commissioned brigadier-general and assigned 
to the command of the First Brigade of Slocum's 
Division, Sixth Army Corps. June 27, 1862, 
this division was ordered to support Fitz John 
Porter at Gaines' Mill. There the second battle 
of the seven-days' fight was fought, where, out of 
twenty-two hundred men belonging to the First 
Brigade, eleven hundred and twenty-one men 
were killed and wounded in less than one hour. 
After the battle of Malvern Hill the brigade re- 
treated to the James River and was subsequently 
ordered to Alexandria, Va. August 27, 1862, 
they were sent to Manassas Junction, but on the 
way were confronted with Stonewall Jackson's 
corps, and after a sharp contest were left with 
but three hundred of the original fifteen hundred 
men. General Taylor received wounds from the 
effects of which he died a few days later. He 
was buried in the Presbyterian church yard in 
Clinton, N. J., where a plain granite shaft marks 
his grave. 



-: »^*>(l§i)®<4-C-) 1 — 5- 



QOHN A. BACHMAN. No citizen in Phil- 
lipsburg more fully enjoys the respect and 
G/ high regard of the people than does the sub- 
ject of this article. He has made his home in this 
place since 1874, an< ^ has been officially connected 



with the Phillipsburg National Bank for nearly a 
quarter of a century. In every new enterprise or 
plan for the improvement of the town he is among 
the first to accord it his support, materially and 
by his influence, for he is thoroughly in touch 
with the progressive spirit of the age. 

The ancestors of J. A. Bachman dwelt in Switz- 
erland several generations ago, and, as philosoph- 
ers have often pointed out they, being mountain- 
eers, breathed the high, pure air of liberty, 
rejoiced in the freedom of their inaccessible soli- 
tudes, and thus were strong to meet the tide of 
religious and political persecution which swept 
through their beloved country in the middle ages. 
The founder of the family in America left home 
to seek a new one in the western world, whither 
the tyrants of Europe had not yet extended their 
blighting power. He accompanied William Penn 
as his private secretary, and for his payment he 
accepted two townships in Northampton County, 
Pa. Since that time the family have been num- 
bered among the representative citizens of the 
Keystone state. 

Charles W. Bachman, father of our subject, 
was born in Northampton County, Pa., and was 
a tailor by trade. For many years he was en- 
gaged in conducting a clothing business in East- 
011, Pa. , but he is now living retired, having made 
a competence. His faithful helpmate, formerly 
Sarah A. Transue, daughter of the late Anthony 
Transue, from near Easton, is still living, aged 
seventy-two. He is fourscore years old, and still 
enjoys health of mind and bod}'. Of their four 
children three survive, viz. : John A., who was 
born in Easton; Mary A., wife of James V. Bull, 
of the firm of Bush & Bull, extensive merchants, 
of Easton; and A. P., whose home is in Orange, 
N.J. 

After completing his common-school education 
our subject went into the employ of Dal}', Tomb- 
ler & Co., wholesale grocers, of Easton, and re- 
mained with them for seven years, in the mean- 
time becoming familiar with the management of 
finances and general business. In 1874 he re- 
signed his place in order to take the position of 
teller in the Phillipsburg National Bank, receiv- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5°3 



ing the appointment of cashier in 1S78, which 
position he still holds. He is also a member of 
the board of directors. Among the various local 
concerns in which he has been interested is the 
People's Water Company of this town, he being a 
director and treasurer of the same at this time, 
and he is also a trustee for the bondholders of the 
Standard Silk Company, and of the Board of Trade 
of this place. Fraternally he is identified with 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and with 
Eastern Lodge No. 152, F. & A. M., being receiv- 
er of the former. 

The marriage of Mr. Bachman and Mary H. 
Horn was solemnized April 15, 1878, at the home 
of the bride's father, Robert T. Horn, an old 
and very highly esteemed citizen of Easton, Pa. 
They have one child, Robert C. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bachman are active members of St. John's Luth- 
eran Church of Easton, the former being an elder 
and chairman of the music committee. They are 
always ready to lend a helping hand to those less 
fortunately circumstanced than themselves. Our 
subject was born January 31, 1848, and is conse- 
quently in the prime of his life and usefulness in 
the business and social world, as he has not lost 
the enthusiasm and energy of youth, and tempers 
the same with wisdom born of experience. 



ENRY BERCAW. Among the enterprising 
business men of Phillipsburg, the gentleman 
of whom we write is numbered. He is a 
stockholder, secretary and bookkeeper for the firm 
of Tippett & Woods, boiler makers. This is one 
of the most solid mercantile concerns in the lo- 
cality, and year by year their business has in- 
creased until it has assumed very extensive pro- 
portions. Mr. Bercaw has been connected with 
the establishment for over twenty years and pos- 
sesses the experience and knowledge of the bus- 
iness which time and strict attention to ever}' de- 
tail connected with the works alone could bring. 



Born in the adjacent town of Easton, Pa., June 
16, 1845, Henry Bercaw is a son of Samuel and 
Levina (Moser) Bercaw. The father, also a na- 
tive of Easton, was a descendant of a German fam- 
ily who settled in the Keystone state many 3-ears 
ago. He was an employe of the Lehigh Valley 
Railroad, and was a man of prominence in his 
own neighborhood. He died in 1897. His wife, 
who departed this life some five years before, was 
a descendant of Burkhart Moser, a name well 
known in the annals of the early history of Penn- 
sylvania. Samuel and Levina Bercaw were mem- 
bers of the Dutch Reformed Church, and were 
people who were noted for their possession of 
sterling qualities of character. They were the 
parents of thirteen children, only four of whom 
survive, viz.: Henry; Emma, wife of Charles 
Richer, of this city; Arabella, unmarried; and 
Mar}', wife of Richard Kner, of Phillipsburg. 

Henry Bercaw was a pupil in the public schools 
until he was sixteen years of age, when his pa- 
triotic spirit could no longer be appeased, and he 
went forward to offer his services and life if need 
be in the defense of his country. Though he 
was but a youth, he was admitted to the ranks of 
the Seventh New Jersey Infantry and was as- 
signed to the Army of the Potomac, which wing 
of the Union troops was in the thickest of the con- 
flict through long weary years. Mr. Bercaw was 
honorably discharged July 23, 1865, as a ser- 
geant, having seen four years of hardship and 
privation in active service. Upon his return to 
the avocations of peace, he found it very difficult 
to settle down to the prosaic routine of business, 
as many others did, and it was even harder in his 
case, in that he had not been engaged in any com- 
mercial enterprise or work prior to his army serv- 
ice. For about a year he was employed by the 
Phillipsburg Agricultural Works, but at the end 
of that time he determined to have some expe- 
rience in the regular United States army. Ac- 
cordingly, he enlisted in the First United States 
Cavalry and during the succeeding five years was 
on duty in southern California and Arizona. 
This period of martial life proved sufficient, and 
the young man returned home, once more becom- 



504 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



ing an employe of the agricultural works, with 
which concern he stayed until 1877. Since that 
year he has been with the Tippett & Woods Boiler 
Works, and since December, 1892, he has been 
one of the firm. 

In 1877 Mr. Bercaw married Augusta, daugh- 
ter of Jeremiah Dennis, of Bloomsbury, N. J., 
and her death occurred in 1885. He has always 
kept a warm place in his heart for the boys that 
wore the blue, and he has served the local lodge 
of the Grand Army of the Republic as its com- 
mander. He is also a member of the Order of 
American Mechanics. 



QJlCTOR C. PENDREIGH. Among the well- 
\ / equipped village stores of Warren County is 
V the one situated at Changewater and owned 
and operated by Mr. Pendreigh. Since purchas- 
ing it, he has built up a large trade in the village 
and surrounding country and has established a 
reputation for reliable dealing with all. He be- 
gan in business without capital, but by his energy 
and perseverance has attained a fair degree of 
success and has become known as a prosperous 
merchant. For three years after embarking in 
business he was in partnership with Eugene Cast- 
ner, but in 1895 he purchased his partner's in- 
terest and has since been alone. 

Born in Hunterdon County in 1861, the sub- 
ject of this sketch is of direct Scotch descent. 
His father, James, who was born in Scotland, 
came to America at the age of nineteen years and 
settled in Hunterdon County. For more than 
thirty years, and until his death, he was employed 
as foreman on the Delaware & Lackawanna Rail- 
road. Politically he was an ally of the Republi- 
can party, in religion was identified with the 
Presbyterian Church, and fraternally belonged to 
Merino Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F. His death 
occurred in 1885. He had married Catherine 
Lun gen, daughter of Frederick Lungen, who 



was a carpenter by trade and lived near Asbury, 
Warren County. She is still living and makes 
her home with her son, Victor C. In her family 
there were four sons, but two died in childhood 
and another, John, passed away in 1872. 

In the public schools of Hamdeu, Hunterdon 
Count}', the subject of this article acquired his 
education. At the age of twenty-one he started 
out to make his own way in the world, and se- 
cured a clerkship in the store he now owns. He 
saved his earnings until, in 1892, he was able to 
purchase the stock and good will of the former 
proprietor, and since then he has conducted the 
business in an efficient manner. He is interested 
in the public schools and has been a member of 
the board of education since 1892, but has held 
no other office, never having cared to occupy 
public positions. In political sentiment he sup- 
ports Republican principles and always votes the 
party ticket. Fraternally he is actively connected 
with Merino Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F. Though 
not a member of any religious bod}-, he supports 
the doctrines and work of the Presbyterian Church 
and is an attendant upon its services. 



(31 LDEN EDWARDS MARTIN, M. D., nuin- 
LJ bered among the prominent physicians of 
J I Hackettstown, Warren Count)-, is in the 
front ranks of his profession as a result of his 
close stud}', power of observation and widely di- 
versified experience. He makes it a point to keep 
himself well posted in modern discoveries and 
new methods used in the treatment of disease, 
and while carefully conservative, holding to the 
tested lines of diagnosis and remedies, he is open 
minded and liberal, always ready to accept a 
true and tried manner of healing the " ills that 
flesh is heir to," even though it is essentially new 
or opposite to received ideas. 

Moreover, the doctor is not restricted in his in- 
terests to the field of his professional duties; pos- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



505 



sessed of fine business abilities and an energetic 
spirit, he is foremost in all enterprises affecting 
the welfare of this place, and his mature judg- 
ment is earnestly sought after when questions of 
more than momentary weight are before the pub- 
lic. He is in the prime of life, and gives prom- 
ise of many years of usefulness to his generation. 
He was born Juty 16, 1850, in Peacham, Vt., 
and in that pretty and quiet village his boyhood 
passed happily and without event. His father, 
Hon. John M. Martin, was a merchant, a man of 
good education, a true patriot and a most worth j- 
citizen. He was a native of Woodbury County 
and was married in Vermont to Miss Martha 
Osgood Sprague, of Peacham. 

Dr. A. E. Martin received his education in the 
public school of his native county, and, having 
completed his classical and scientific studies, de- 
cided to enter the medical profession. His initial 
studies in this direction were under the guidance 
of Prof. H. Noah Martin, who was an instructor 
in Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia. 
From that well-known institution Dr. Martin was 
graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine 
in 1876. Having opened an office at Schooley's 
Mountain (three miles distant from Hacketts- 
town) he continued to practice in that vicinity 
until 1880, when he removed to this place. 
Since that time he has been situated here, and 
has gradually built up a large and remunerative 
practice. He is a stanch Republican in his politi- 
cal views, and has manifested his interest in the 
rising generation by serving on the board of edu- 
cation, now in his third year. For fifteen years 
he was a member of the board of health, but is 
not acting in that capacity at this time. A mem- 
ber of Independence Lodge No. 42, F. & A. M. , 
of Hackettstown, he has been master of the same 
and was District Deputy Grand Master of the 
tenth district, and is now a member of the Ma- 
sonic Historical Committee, having been one of 
that honorable body for two 3 ? ears past. 

In 18S1 the doctor married Miss Catherine, 
daughter of John R. Carr, whose sketch appears 
elsewhere in this volume. They have a family 
of one son and three daughters, viz.: Olga, Leila 



K., Carl and Augusta M., all bright, interesting 
children. The doctor and his estimable wife are 
members of the Episcopal Church, and are liberal 
contributors to religious and charitable enter- 
prises. They have a charming home, where 
they are always ready to entertain their large cir- 
cle of friends and acquaintances with generous 
and warm-hearted hospitality. 



|~}EV. WILBERT P. FERGUSON, Ph. D., 
U'a B. D., president of Centenary Collegiate 
n\ Institute. Among the best-known institu- 
tions and enterprises of Warren County is the 
Centenary Collegiate Institute of Hackettstown. 
It was established by the Newark Conference of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1869, and 
was open for students in September, 1874. The 
buildings and grounds are valued at $230,000, 
and are entirely free from debt. The institution 
from the very beginning has been crowded with 
students, nearly every year the accommodations 
proving to be inadequate. Rev. George H. 
Whitney, D. D., was the honored and successful 
president 1869-1895, retiring from office amid 
general regret because of ill health. His succes- 
sor is the subject of this sketch. 

President Ferguson is a Canadian by birth, 
his birthplace being Napanee, Ontario, and birth 
date February 2, 1863. His father was in the 
itinerate Methodist ministry, so that there was 
no permanent home to the growing boy until he 
began his collegiate career at the age of thirteen, 
in Albert College, Belleville, Ontario, now Victoria 
University, Toronto. After a year in the pre- 
paratory department, he matriculated with honors 
in classics into the regular college course. In 
the sophomore year honors could again be com- 
peted for. They were again secured in Latin 
and Greek; also the general proficiency prize of 
the class. The general proficiency prize was also 
won in the junior year, and the prize in mental 



506 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



philosophy. He was then compelled by financial 
stress to stay out of school a year, which he im- 
proved by preaching as assistant pastor of a large 
circuit. Then two years were spent jointly in 
an assistant pastorate and finishing the senior 
year, all of whose studies were in the classics — 
a course equal to many of the Ph. D. courses of 
American colleges. He received another honor 
certificate in this department, also a gold medal, 
and was chosen valedictorian of his class. 

During these years he became acquainted with 
a parishioner and college mate, E. Adelaide 
Cruickshank, to whom he was happily wedded a 
year after graduation. They determined to 
start their new home in the United States and 
went to Illinois to a most excellent appointment 
in the county seat of the Central Illinois Confer- 
ence. Desiring further preparation for the 
Christian ministry, he secured leave of absence 
and came to Drew Theological Seminary, where 
he completed the course in two years, graduating 
in 1887. After a year's pastorate in Wesley 
Church, Peoria, 111., he was invited, without ap- 
plication, to the professorship of Latin in the oldest 
university of Iowa — the Iowa Wesleyan, of 
Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Here he taught for 
three years, assisting also the administration in 
securing students and $10,000 to complete a half- 
finished building. He was at this time state 
president of the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation, and conference president of the Ep worth 
Eeague. Impressed with the desirability of fur- 
ther pastoral experience, he resigned his profes- 
sorship amid universal regret and was transferred 
by Bishop Foss to the New York East Confer- 
ence and stationed at Baldwin's, L. I. During 
his two and one-half years of work in this Brook- 
lyn suburb, the membership was doubled, a new 
chapel added and parsonage built, both being fully 
paid for in cash. He was next appointed to 
Patchogue, L. I., to the largest church of any 
denomination outside of Brooklyn, and with a 
very fine church property. Within a year and 
three mouths a current debt was paid off, a new 
$4,000 organ put in the church and a great revival 
held, in which there were about two hundred and 



forty seekers after Christ. Planning only for a con- 
tinuous ministry of many years, his plans were 
suddenly interfered with by his election to the 
presidency of Centenary Collegiate Institute. 
Suddenly, because the election was unsolicited 
and unexpected by this young pastor. What a 
"young" life! Received into the Methodist 
Episcopal Church at the age of eight years, be- 
ginning a regular and difficult college course at 
fourteen, entering the ministry at seventeen, a 
graduate with high honors and an ordained min- 
ister at twent}', a professor in a strong western 
college at twenty-five, and president of Centenary 
Collegiate Institute at thirty-two. 

During the first three years of President Fer- 
guson's administration, the attendance increased 
fifty per cent., the last annual enrollment reach- 
ing two hundred and eighty-three. The build- 
ings have been improved to the extent of about 
$12,000. The courses have been made one-third 
longer and stronger. Indeed in all departments 
there is renewed vigor and constant growth. It 
is expected that the twenty-fifth anniversary 
(1899) will be celebrated by the erection of a new 
$25,000 building. All honor to this splendid 
school with its widely increasing influence. 



— »>*M 



HENRY H. MIDLER, M. D. There is al- 
ways inspiration and encouragement to be 
derived from the perusal of the life- record of 
a man who has overcome many and varied diffi- 
culties lying in his pathway, and who, by native 
force of character, has steadily advanced toward 
the goal which he set before him in his youth. 
In the history of the honored citizen whose name 
heads this review we find just such a story — a 
story of struggle and earnest endeavor crowned at 
last with prosperity richly deserved. 

Dr. Miller has made his home in Lebanon, 
Hunterdon County, but six or seven years, yet 
during this period has become well and favorably 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



507 



known. He has succeeded in establishing a rep- 
utation for skill and thorough knowledge of his 
chosen profession that brings to him a generous 
patronage and substantial financial results. He 
is a man who is devoted heart and soul to the 
noble work of alleviating suffering, and is wholly 
unsparing of himself in his love for humanity. 

The Miller family of which our subject is a 
most worthy representative is of German origin. 
His grandfather, John Miller, was a native of New 
Jersey, and was a resident of this count}- in the 
early part of this century. Of his children, his 
namesake, John, was the doctor's father. He was 
born and reared to maturity in this county, and, 
having mastered the blacksmith's trade, he re- 
moved to Middle Valley, Morris County, N. J., 
where he pursued his business for years. He 
married Mary Ribbans, and to them a large fam- 
ily was born, which they strove to bring up in the 
love of God and their fellow-men. 

The birth of Dr. H. H. Miller occurred in 
Middle Valley, October 8, 1854, he being the 
eighth son and the third from the youngest of six- 
teen children. He was brought up in his native 
county and received his primary education in the 
common schools. When he was about twenty 
years old he concluded that he would enter the 
medical profession, and thenceforth brought every 
energy to bear upon the carrying out of this idea. 
He was greatly handicapped in his purpose by 
the lack of means, but he was not easily discour- 
aged and at intervals during the following six 
years he taught school, the money thus earned 
sufficing to meet his expenses. At the same time 
he studied medicine under the instruction of his 
elder brother, Theodore, in Califon. In 1876 he 
entered the medical department of the University 
College, in New York City, and did not graduate 
until 188 r, on account of several terms spent in 
teaching outside. Having received his degree, 
he settled down for business in Mountainbury, 
Tewksbury Township, in which town he was 
pleasantly situated in every regard for the ten 
years that followed. In 1891 he came to Leba- 
non, and has here built up a large practice. In 
his political convictions, the doctor is a Prohibi- 



tionist, and fraternally he is an Odd Fellow, 
being a member of Vesper Lodge No. 239, of Le- 
banon. 

In 1883 the marriage of Dr. Miller and Minnie 
Apgar, daughter of Phineas K. Apgar, was sol- 
emnized in Cokesbury. Mrs. Miller was sum- 
moned to the silent land in October, 1888. The 
lady who now bears the name of our subject was 
formerly Miss Jennie G. Walters. She was born 
in Glen Gardner, N. J., and is a daughter of Rev. 
David Walters. The marriage ceremony which 
united the destinies of H. H. and Jennie Miller 
was performed upon New Year's day, 1890. 
They both hold membership with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church here, and are active in all good 
works. The}' have a happy home, and often en- 
tertain therein their numerous friends and ac- 
quaintances. 



"3 HARLES RITTENHOUSE, editor and pro- 
C prietor of the Hackettstown Gazette, has 
^j through his energetic individuality and the 
influence of his paper accomplished much for the 
benefit and improvement of the beautiful city of 
Hackettstown. The excellent city streets, the 
electric light plant, Hemlock Grove, a public 
park, which property is held in trust for the people, 
and the combined soldiers' monument and drink- 
ing fountain, are some of the important improve- 
ments to the place that he was mainly instru- 
mental in maturing and securing. The Gazette 
is one of the fairest and most Democratic papers 
in New Jersey and its editor is as thoroughly im- 
bued with Democracy as he is honest in express- 
ing his opinions, and in the sixteen years that he 
has run the paper he has met with great success. 
Mr. Rittenhouse was born at Hackettstown 
November 1, 1856 (the same mouth and same 
year that the' paper was started). His parents 
were William S. and Caroline (Mucklow) Ritten- 
house, the latter of Scotch descent, but both na- 



5 o8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



tives of Warren Count)'. William S., who was a 
cooper by trade, carried on his business for many 
years in Hackettstown and in addition to this 
for a long period he acted as justice of the peace, 
for which position his law studies had fitted him. 
He was also collector and assessor. He was a 
strong Democratic politician, prominent in his 
party. He died when our subject was six 3'ears 
of age. His widow (who survived him many 
years and died in July, 1895) was left with little 
means and three small children, who were required 
to "hustle" early in life. The eldest, Alfred M. , 
is a physician at Bellwood, Neb.; William S. , Jr., 
is cashier of the First National Bank of Washing- 
ton, N. J. 

Until sixteen years of age the subject of this 
sketch attended the public schools. At seventeen 
years he went into the Gazette office to learn the 
trade with E. W. Osmun, the then proprietor of 
that paper. He stayed in this position three 
years, then left for Princeton and worked with C. 
S. Robinson, who did the Princeton College print- 
ing. He then visited some of the large cities, 
working at his trade, and finally settled down in 
Newark, N. J., where he remained for four years. 
Meantime Mr. Osmun had died and the Gazette 
had run down and was put up for sale at public 
auction. Mr. Rittenhouse became the purchaser. 
His brother William S., Jr., joined him in the 
venture and from August 10, 1882, the paper was 
carried on under the firm name of Rittenhouse 
Brothers. 

In 1884 Charles Rittenhouse was appointed 
postmaster of Hackettstown under Cleveland's 
administration and filled the position with credit 
for five years. In 1890 William S., Jr. , withdrew 
from the business, since which time our subject 
has been editor and sole proprietor. By earnest 
attention to the interests of the public at large 
and the welfare of his home community,' he has 
brought the Gazette to its present flourishing con- 
dition. He is a director in the Hackettstown Mu- 
tual Fire Insurance Company, also a director in the 
Electric Light Company and the Union Cemetery 
Association. He is a member of the Masonic 
order, the Improved Order of Red Men, Knights 



of Pythias, the Volunteer Fire Department and 
the Hackettstown Driving Association. Novem- 
ber 19, 1884, he married Matilda, daughter of 
Charles and Matilda Hairhouse, natives of Ger- 
man}', but residents of Hackettstown. 



(JOHN S. LINDABURY, M. D., has been lo- 
I catedin Bloomsbury, Hunterdon County, for 
(*/ the past sixteen years, and is known far and 
wide as a most skillful surgeon and able physi- 
cian. Among those of his own profession he is 
looked up to and his advice and opinion are fre- 
cpiently asked for in very difficult and perplexing 
cases. His experience has been very extensive; 
he is a great student and thinker in the lines of 
his chosen work and his judgment is invariably 
accurate and well founded. He is a man of noble 
qualities, and is one who delights in doing good 
to his fellows, cheering them in trouble, helping 
them in sickness and proving himself an angel of 
mercy wherever his path of duty leads. 

The doctor comes of good old Revolutionary 
stock, his maternal grandfather having served in 
the colonial struggle for independence. His 
father, John, was born March 5, 1784, and was a 
descendant of an old Holland family who had 
settled in this state in the early days of its his- 
tory. John Lindabury was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, his home being in Morris County until after 
the War of 1812, in which he served. He then 
brought his family to this county, taking up his 
place of abode near White House. There he was 
engaged in caring for his farm until death claimed 
him. He was a very zealous worker in the Pres- 
byterian Church, was an elder in the same, and 
it is related of him that his team was usually 
ready to convey to the services all of his neigh- 
bors who could not otherwise have gone. Octo- 
ber 8, 1812, he married Elizabeth Rodenbaugh 
and of their eight children only the doctor 
and one sister survive. Katharine was born 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



509 



Jul}' 28, 1813; Mary Jane, June 5, 1815; Eliza- 
beth, March 11, 1817; Susanna, July 2, 1819; 
Nathan, June 2, 1821; Lydia, March 17, 1823; 
Amanda Ann, July 9, 1825; and John S. Lydia, 
who married Charles Carhart, now deceased, 
lives in Glen Gardner, this county. 

John S. Lindabury was born in Morris County, 
near Schooley's Mountain Springs, September 7, 
1838. He received a good education, having the 
special advantage of a private tutor for five years, 
and taught school here for some time. He then 
took a preparatory course in the state university 
of Ann Arbor, Mich., after which he spent about 
three years in travel and study. In the spring of 
1858 he returned to New Jerse}', and settled clown 
to hard study under the instruction of Dr. Will- 
iam S. Creveling. In the fall of that year he en- 
tered the University of New York, graduating 
therefrom in the class of 1861. To further fit 
himself for his life work he took special courses 
under such noted men as Drs. Valentine Mott, 
T. Gillard Thomas and William R. Donahue. 

The doctor's initial practice was in Mountain- 
ville, Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County. 
Having given special attention to the treatment 
of epidemic diseases, he was almost immediately 
called upon to combat diphtheria, which was rag- 
ing in that vicinity and also throughout that por- 
tion of the county. He was so successful in meet- 
ing this dread contagion, that he was often called 
into consultation with local physicians far beyond 
the limits of his usual practice. He built up a 
fine practice there, and during his twenty-one 
years in that place he tutored a number of stu- 
dents who now are numbered among the best in 
this and other localities. Dr. Thomas Miller, of 
Califon; Dr. William C. Alpaugh, of High Bridge, 
and Dr. J. T. Fritts, of Plainfield, are of the old- 
time pupils of his. 

In his student days the doctor had an idea that 
he would enter the navy service, and he made a 
specialty of surgery, and passed the required ex- 
amination for admittance to the navy. He has been 
particularly successful' as a surgeon, and is con- 
sidered an authority in this branch. He is an ardent 
adherent of the Democratic party, but his intense 



dislike for the methods of modern politicians has 
made him desirous of keeping out of public posi- 
tions. He is a member of the Lehigh Valley 
Medical Association and belongs to Stewart Lodge 
No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton. Religiously he 
follows in the footsteps of his forefathers, being 
identified with the Presbyterian Church. 

In 1862 the doctor married Eliza Robinson, 
whose home was then in Cokesbury, Hunterdon 
County. They have had a son and a daughter, 
Etta, wife of C. H. Smith, of Bloomsbury, and 
Thomas A., employed by the Lehigh Valley 
Railroad Company as yardmaster, in South Plain- 
field, N. J. 



(JOHN BOWERS. No industry in Warren 
I County is more widely known than that of 
Q) which Mr. Bowers is the head. The Bowers 
Snuff and Tobacco Company, Limited, has its 
main office in Trenton, N. J., with Jonathan H. 
Blackwell as chairman, and his son, Stephen W., 
as secretary and treasurer. The plant is located 
at Changewater, Warren County, and is operated 
by water power, lighted by electricity and heated 
by steam. The three water wheels are of ninety, 
thirty-five and twenty horse-power, respectively. 
The main building is a stone structure, five and 
one-half stories in height, 45x60 feet in dimen- 
sions, with an annex on one side 26x45, the 
same height as the main building, and another 
annex 18x36, three and one-half stories in height. 
The annexes have been built since the plant was 
established at this place in 18S9, in order to ac- 
commodate the increasing business. The office 
building is forty feet long and thirty feet wide, 
with an annex 25x50, and three and one-half 
stories high. The works are run night and day, 
and furnish employment to between fifty and 
seventy-five people, while seven traveling men 
are kept on the road constantly. 

The head of this large concern is a native of 



5io 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



New Jersey, and was born at Middlesex August 
iS, 1822. His father, William, who was born in 
the same place, served as a soldier throughout 
the entire period of the War of 181 2; by trade he 
was a saddler and this occupation he followed 
until his death, which occurred when he was in 
the prime of life. His father, who came to this 
country from France, was a large owner of fine 
horses, his specialty being racing stock. The 
mother of our subject, Martha Rebecca, was a 
daughter of JohnBown, who owned several large 
farms near Middlesex ; she died in 1872, at the age 
of seventy-two. Of her six children, one died in 
boyhood and a daughter, Georgia, died during 
the yellow fever epidemic; William, who was a 
carpenter by trade, had charge of the car shops 
in Savannah, Ga.; Charles F., deceased, was a 
farmer in Missouri; and Rebecca Ann is the wife 
of Devi Bennett, a resident of Middlesex, N. J. 

When a boy our subject attended the public 
schools in his native town. At the age of six- 
teen he began to learn the trade of a furniture 
manufacturer, but followed it only a few years. 
He then became interested in the manufacture of 
snuff and tobacco in Middlesex, first as an em- 
ploye, afterwards as manager for the G. W. Helme 
Company. He continued thereuntil 1889, when 
he engaged in the business for himself at Change- 
water. Here also he has his home, occupying a 
residence just opposite his office. Fraternally he 
is connected with Fidelity Lodge of Odd Fellows 
at Middlesex. For years he has been a trustee 
and steward in the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
In political belief he is a free-silver Democrat. 
During the war he voted for Abraham Lincoln 
for president, which is the only time he has ever 
cast a Republican ballot. The prosperity he has 
attained is solely the result of his personal efforts. 
He had no assistance from others in starting out. 
His success is not the result of accident or luck, 
but has come to him through his indomitable 
perseverance, untiring energy and determination 
of character. Hence it is well deserved. His 
possessions are valuable, including his factory, 
residence and a fine farm near Chaugewater. 

In 1856 Mr. Bowers married Amanda Culver, 



daughter of Jonathan Culver, of Middlesex. 
They are the parents of three sons and two 
daughters. Charles W., the eldest son, is a 
business man in New York. John H., the 
second sou, is connected with the tobacco busi- 
ness as a member of the firm. He was educated 
at Princeton and is a young man of bright intel- 
lect and excellent judgment. He and his wife, 
formerly Ida B. Bessett, and their daughter, Ruth 
J., reside at No. 12 West Washington avenue, 
Washington, N. J. Fraternally he is identified 
with Mansfield Lodge No. 36, F. & A. M., and 
Chapter No. 12, R. A. M., also the Improved 
Order of Red Men. He is an excellent business 
man and gives his personal attention to the local 
office. 

Lafayette Appleby Bowers, the youngest son 
of our subject, is also a member of the firm, and 
is general manager of the snuff department. He 
boards at the New Windsor Hotel in Washington. 
Fraternally he is a member of the blue lodge of 
Masonry, DeLomay Commandery No. 6, K. T., 
Mecca Temple, and the Mystic Shrine of NewYork 
City. He is also identified with the Royal Ar- 
canum. His business faculties are well developed. 
He is sagacious, honorable and energetic. Like 
his father and brothers, he is a stanch Democrat, 
unswerving in his allegiance to the part}-; and, 
like them, he has a host of friends among the 
people of Changewater, Washington and other 
parts of Warren County. 



V A RS. MARIA PARK is probably the oldest 
Jr living inhabitant of Hunterdon Count}', her 
(9 home having been upon a farm in Tewks- 
bury Township during her long life, which very 
nearly covers this century. She has been a wit- 
ness of vast changes hereabout since her girl- 
hood and is a most entertaining conversationalist. 
She is remarkably well preserved, is in the posses- 
sion of all her faculties and enjoys exceptionally 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5ii 



good health, considering her advanced age. 
Though now in her ninety -seventh year she reads 
without glasses, and is only very slightly deaf. 
On the occasion of her ninety-sixth birthday an- 
niversary, November 27, 1897, her friends made 
a party for her, and she enjoyed herself greatly 
talking over old times and experiences, and being 
the agreeable hostess in every sense. 

On the paternal side, Mrs. Park is a direct de- 
scendant of Hans Hansen Bergen, of Norway. 
He was a ship carpenter in his native land, and 
in 1633 ne emigrated to New Amsterdam, now 
New York City. In 1639 he married Sarah, 
daughter of George Rapalie, she having been the 
first white child born in the colony of the New 
Netherlands. Their son, John Hansen Bergen, 
was baptized in New Amsterdam, April 17, 1644. 
He married Jeanette, daughter of Tunis Ten 
Eyck, and their son, John George, was baptized 
August 31, 1684. On the 16th of August, 171 1, 
he wedded Sycha, daughter of Evart Van Wich- 
len, and their son Evart, born in 1 7 1 7, was 
the great-grandfather of Mrs. Park. He chose 
for his wife JaneHegeman, whose portrait is now 
in the possession of Dr. Van Derveer, of North 
Branch. In 1737 this Evart Bergen purchased a 
tract of land in Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, 
N. J., which property has never since been owned 
outside of the family, though in a newspaper 
printed during the Revolutionary war the land is 
advertised for sale. This same paper contains an 
account of the capture of Major Andre. The 
land was not sold then, nor has it ever been, and 
is now in the hands of Eugene, the youngest 
child of Mrs. Park, of this sketch. The eldest 
child of Evart and Jane Bergen was John, born 
September 26, 1746. He was married in 1770 to 
Alche Rapalie, and of the five children born to 
them, Evart, the eldest, whose birth occurred 
June 23, 177 1, became the father of Mrs. Park. 

The mother of our subject was Ann Van Duer- 
sen in her maidenhood. She was a descendant 
of Hon. James Schureman, who was a prominent 
figure during the war of the Revolution. He 
was at one time taken prisoner, but escaped 
finally by drugging the guards and digging his 



way out through the walls. In 1789 he was 
elected a member of the continental congress, 
serving for four years, after which he was sent 
to the United States senate, and later was the 
mayor of the town of New Brunswick, N. J. 

The father of Mrs. Park was born and passed 
the first six years of his life on the farm adjoin- 
ing the one where she resides to-day. He then 
removed with his parents to the town of New 
Brunswick, and there grew to manhood. Janu- 
ary 5, 1793, he married Ann Van Duersen, by 
whom he had nine children, viz.: John, Will- 
iam, Ann, James, Maria, Aletta, Staats, Jane 
and George. After his marriage Evart Bergen 
came to his farm in Readingtou Township, and 
remained here until his death. He was a Demo- 
crat, and quite active in local affairs, serving as 
a justice of the peace several terms and holding 
other official positions of trust and honor. He 
held membership with the Presb3'terian Church 
of Lamington, near which is the family burying 
ground. He sent all of his children to New 
Brunswick to be educated, as the neighborhood 
advantages here were of a very limited descrip- 
tion. 

March 1, 1818, the marriage of Maria Bergen 
and James Park was solemnized. He was a na- 
tive of Warren County, N. J., having been born 
in 1797. He learned the carpenter's trade, 
which he followed to some extent, though his 
chief occupation in life was farming. When he 
reached his majority he located in German Valley, 
engaging in agricultural pursuits there two years, 
after which he permanently settled on the farm 
where his widow resides. This place is situated 
but a short distance south of New Germantown. 
In his political attitude he was always a Demo- 
crat and in the early days he was much interested 
in the home militia, taking part in the ' 'trainings' ' 
and holding at different times the positions of 
captain, major and colonel. He attended the 
Presbyterian Church, of which his wife has long 
been a member, and his earthly labors came to 
an end August 1, 1854. To himself and wife 
eleven children were born, as follows: Evart 
Bergen, now deceased; David; Staats N. , of 



5i: 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Bloomsbury; William A., deceased; Mary Ann, 
wife of John J. Bergen, of South Branch; Adeline 
E. , wife of Elias T. Wack, of Newark; George 
B., a resident of Bradford Count}', Pa.; John H., 
of Frenchtown; Elias T., of Tonawanda, Pa.; H. 
Eouise, deceased; and H. Eugene, the present 
county clerk of this county. Mrs. Park con- 
ducts her own business affairs, keeping her ac- 
counts, and manifesting truly remarkable ability. 
She is the proud grandmother of twenty-five 
grandchildren and about as many great-grand- 
children. 



— ■»-- -•••>a>"Q i, ->c-«- -«— :- 



|ARREN O. LAUDENBERGER is now 
serving as a commissioner of deeds, no- 
tary public and assessor of the borough of 
Junction, Hunterdon County, and in the past few 
years has acceptably filled numerous local offices. 
He is a young man of ability, good judgment, 
and executive genius, and is a general favorite 
with the public. To the least as well as to the 
greatest of his duties, he is prompt and faithful, 
and in this manner has justly earned his popu- 
larity. 

A native of Springtown, Bucks County, Pa., 
our subject was born May 28, 1861, being a son 
of William R. and Savilla (Clymer) Laudenber- 
ger. When he was a lad of five years his parents 
moved to South Bethlehem, Pa., and in 1872 the 
family came to Junction. The father purchased 
the property then known as the Junction House, 
and now called the 'Lackawanna House, and this 
he has carried on up to the present time. 

When he was nineteen years of age our subject 
entered the employ of E. Humphrey, of Glen 
Gardner, remaining there until 1881, when for a 
year he lived in Philadelphia. In December, 
1S82, he re-entered the employ of Mr. Humphrey, 
and in 1891 returned to Junction, where he has 
since made his home. He has always been an 
active worker in the Democratic part)', and has 



attended many political conventions as a delegate. 
In 1893 and again in 1897 he was chosen secre- 
tary of the county convention. From 1889 to 
1893 inclusive he was a member of the count)' 
Democratic executive committee. He was first 
assistant engrossing clerk in 1893 and received 
the caucus nomination of his party for the same 
position in 1894. He was instrumental in aiding 
the incorporation of the borough of Junction, and 
December 29, 1894, was elected secretary of the 
committee organized for the purpose. In 1895 he 
was elected assessor for Junction borough for a 
term of three years and re-elected in 1898 without 
opposition. He was assistant clerk of the county 
board of assessors in 1895 an d 1896, and clerk of 
the county board of assessors in 1897. All local 
industries and enterprises find in him a sincere 
friend, and he is now a member of the Junction 
Fruit and Produce Exchange, also a director and 
the treasurer of the Junction Water and Improve- 
ment Company. Fraternally he is an Odd Fel- 
low, belonging to Minerva Lodge No. 60, of 
Junction, in which he is past grand. 

On the 15th of January, 1891, Mr. Laudeuber- 
ger was united in marriage with one of Glen 
Gardner's accomplished daughters, Miss Jennie 
Brown. Her father is William S. Brown, a well- 
known citizen of that pretty town, within the 
boundaries of which she was reared to woman- 
hood. She has been given excellent musical ad- 
vantages, and possesses unusual talent in that 
direction. For several years she has been the 
organist of the Lutheran Church of Glen Gard- 
ner, of which congregation she is a member. 



HON. EZRA NASON, mayor of Junction, 
Hunterdon County, enjoys the respect and 
genuine regard of a large circle of acquaint- 
ances, both among the citizens of this place and 
all along the Central Railroad of New Jersey 
wherever he is known, and wherever his duties 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5i3 



as an engineer take him. He is, with perhaps 
two or three exceptions, the longest-employed 
man in the service of the railroad company men- 
tioned, and has won an enviable reputation for 
strict fidelity to duty, punctuality and general re- 
liability. The esteem in which he is held here 
was shown when he was elected on the Republican 
ticket to the responsible position of mayor, which 
office he has occupied three years, now filling his 
second term. He was influential in getting Junc- 
tion incorporated as a borough, this having been 
of great benefit to the place in numerous ways, 
such as materially reducing the taxation, and at 
the same time many improvements have been in- 
stituted. He gives his unswerving allegiance to 
the Republican part}', in the principles of which 
he has been familiar from his boyhood, as his fa- 
ther was an ardent adherent of the same organ- 
ization. 

The Nason family is of Scotch descent and has 
been represented in America for several genera- 
tions. Grandfather John Nason was a resident 
of the state of Maine, where he passed his life in 
agricultural pursuits. He was quite a figure in 
the affairs of his community, was a leader in the 
old Whig party and did gallant service in the War 
of 18 1 2. He married a Miss Susan Usher and 
had six children, of whom Ezra, the father of our 
subject, was the eldest. That worthy man fol- 
lowed in the footsteps of his father in the choice 
of a life occupation, giving his energies to the cul- 
tivation of a farm in Maine, his native state. He 
was a selectman there for several terms, and re- 
ligiously was a devout Methodist. To himself 
and wife, whose maiden name was Harriet Haley, 
seven children were born, viz.: Roscoe, who is a 
miller in Hollis, Me.; Ezra; John, who is in the 
railroad business, his home being in Taunton, 
Mass. ; Nathan, who carries on the old home- 
stead; Marshall, who died when young; Robert, 
who likewise died in childhood; and Susan, who 
married John Blake, of Buxton, Me. 

The birth of Ezra Nason took place in Maine, 
May 27, 1837. In his native village he received 
a good education for that day, and under the in- 
struction of his father became proficient as a 



farmer. For about two years after attaining his 
majority he cultivated a farm, after which he 
spent twelve months or more in cutting down tim- 
ber. In 1 86 1 he came to Junction and at once 
found employment with the Central Railroad, 
with which company he has continued without 
intermission since. At first he took a subordinate 
position, but gradually worked up until he became 
one of their most trusted employes. He is a mem- 
ber of Garrett Bogart Lodge No. 337, Brotherhood 
of Locomotive Engineers, and has been chief of 
the same several times. He is a Presbyterian, at- 
tending the church in Musconetcong Valley. 

August 27, 1867, Mr. Nason married Margaret, 
daughter of Ebenezer Bowlby, of this place. 
Three children came to bless their union, viz.: 
Margaret, now the wife of Morris R. Albright, 
whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; 
Harvey, who is in a mercantile business in Tren- 
ton; and William B., who is likewise engaged in 
business in Trenton. In November, 1889, Mr. 
Nason met with a severe loss in the death of his 
loved wife, and of late his daughter has kept house 
for him. 



HARVEY DAVIS is the proprietor ot a well- 
appointed store in Glen Gardner, Hunterdon 
Count)-. He has been located here and en- 
gaged in this business for the past eight years and 
has prospered, building up an enviable reputation 
for correct financial methods, and otherwise win- 
ning the esteem of all those with whom he has 
had dealings. In his establishment may be found a 
mark of enterprise rarely seen in a country store — 
steam heat, and many other up-to-date improve- 
ments are there seen as well. He keeps a nice 
line of goods, arranged in an artistic and conven- 
ient fashion, and customers are always sure of 
finding what they need or wish. 

Born in Morris County, N. J., our subject is a 
sou of John and Ruth (Pickle) Davis. The 
father was a farmer and wheelwright and his 



5*4 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



whole life was spent on the homestead now owned 
by his son James K., and originally the property 
of his father, who was of Welsh extraction, and 
whose advent into Morris County occurred about 
two years prior to the birth of John, the son. To 
the marriage of John and Ruth Davis nine chil- 
dren were born, and not one of the number has 
been summoned hence by death. In the order of 
their births they are as follows: George P., a 
merchant of Martinsville, N. J. ; John, a machinist 
of Pottsville, N. J. ; Harriet, wife of William Vac- 
tor, of Martinsville, N. J.; James K., who is on 
the old home place; Henry P., now in Corning, 
Iowa; Jacob H. , a farmer near White House, N. 
J.; Harvey; M. Luther, a farmer of Somerset 
County; and William E., a mechanic of Morris- 
town, N. J. 

Harvey Davis was born August 15, 1853, and 
until he was twenty-three years of age he remained 
on the old home farm. He received a district- 
school education, and early made up his mind 
that he would prefer a commercial career to the 
routine of farm labor. His first venture was to 
engage in the confectionery business in Chester, 
N. J., but at the expiration of the year he went 
to Stark County, 111., remaining there about 
eight months. He next tried his fortune further 
west, going to Colorado Springs and thence to 
Gunnison City, where he engaged in mining, 
locating claims, buying and selling the same, etc. 
After a few months he returned to Colorado 
Springs, and in company with Frank Jobst, estab- 
lished a mercantile business under the firm name 
of Davis & Jobst, which business was in existence 
for two years. He then sold out and went to 
Denver, remaining in that beautiful city for quite 
a period, but eventually turning his face home- 
ward, arriving hereafter an absence of four years. 
Then for a year or two he manufactured peach 
baskets near the town of Chester, N. J. About 
1886 he embarked in merchandising at Anthony, 
Hunterdon County, and was very successful dur- 
ing the four following years in this calling. In 
1890 he came to Glen Gardner and bought the 
store and residence known as the Squire Young 
property, and has since carried on the business 



with increasing prosperity. He is quite active in 
the support of the Democratic part}', but has 
never been an aspirant for public or official dis- 
tinction. 

January 31, 1S85, Mr. Davis was united in 
marriage with Kate Apgar, who was born and 
grew to womanhood in Glen Gardner. Her 
parents are well-known citizens of this place, 
Josiah and Ann B. (Fritts) Apgar. Two daugh- 
ters bless the union of our subject and his estima- 
ble wife, named respectively, BeulahR. and Jessie 
A. The family have a very pleasant home and 
are surrounded with the comforts and man}' of 
the so-called luxuries of life. 



pCJlLLIAM K. HOFFMAN is numbered 
\ A / among the most enterprising agriculturists 
V V °f Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, 
and is now conducting the old family homestead 
which he inherited and on which his birth oc- 
curred. The farm comprises one hundred and 
seventeen acres of valuable land, admirably 
suited to the raising of a large variety of crops 
and kept in fine condition by the owner. 

The elder of two sons of John J. and Elizabeth 
Ann (Kuhl) Hoffman, our subject was born 
August 6, 1S53. The younger son is John D., 
who is successfully occupied in agricultural pur- 
suits in this township. The father was also a 
native of Franklin Township, and was reared to 
man's estate on the homestead now in the posses- 
sion of W. K. After living here for many years 
he went to Cherryville and embarked in business, 
opening and managing a general store. In a few 
years he sold out this concern, and, going to 
Flemington, he made his headquarters in that 
town while he traveled for a boot and shoe firm. 
He was accidentally killed by a railway loco- 
motive when he was yet in the prime of his use- 
fulness, being but thirty-six years old. His friends 
were legion, and his death was felt to be a great 





CW-As0 ^UstjL 




tZ^n. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5i7 



loss to the community. A faithful member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, he contributed 
liberally to its support and was always a friend to 
the poor and sorrowing. His father, John 
David Hoffman, was a native of this county, com- 
ing from one of the old families in this portion of 
the state, and of German extraction. By trade 
and occupation he was a wheelwright. Mrs. 
Elizabeth A. Hoffman, born and brought up in 
this vicinity, died when she was about forty years 
of age. Like her husband, she was identified 
with the Methodist Church, and put into daily 
practice the faith she professed. 

Until he was about eighteen ye^rs old Mr. 
Hoffman of this sketch remained at home on the 
farm, after which he worked for neighbors in this 
township by the month for a time. Since he 
fell heir to the old farm place he has been occu- 
pied in its improvement and cultivation. Fol- 
lowing the example of his father in political 
matters, he is an ardent supporter of the Demo- 
cratic part}', and has been quite aggressive in 
local affairs. In 1879 he married Miss Phoebe 
G. Mellick, of Union Township, Hunterdon 
Count} 7 . They are both members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, Mr. Hoffman being a 
trustee in the official board of the same. 



WILLIAM BLAIR TlTMAN is a wealthy 
retired farmer, now making his home in 
Belvidere. He is a most worthy rep- 
resentative of a family that has long been 
numbered among the best people of New Jersey 
and whose representatives have owned and im- 
proved land generation after generation, thus 
adding materially to the substantial wealth of the 
several communities in which their lots have been 
cast. 

In tracing the record of the Titmans, it is of 
interest to note that they originated in the 
province of Saxon}-, and that one, Lodewick 



Titman, was the founder of the family in America. 
In 1737 he bought a farm of four hundred acres 
situated at the base of the Blue Mountains, near 
Blairstown, N. J., and his will, which was ad- 
mitted to probate in Newton, Sussex County, 
November 23, 1772, is now in the possession of 
his lineal descendant, our subject. The quaint 
old document has for its opening sentences the 
following: "In the name of God, Amen. The 
twentieth day of September, A. D., One thou- 
sand seven hundred and seventy-two, I, Lodewick 
Titman, of Oxford, in the county of Sussex 
and province of New Jersey, being very weak in 
body but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be 
to God for it, and calling to mind the uncertainty 
of this frail life, and knowing that it is appointed 
for all men once to die, do make and ordain this 
my last will and testament, as follows:" The 
estimation at that time placed in sons, to the 
almost total exclusion of daughters, is shown in 
the fact that he willed several hundred acres of 
land and other property, personal effects, etc., to 
his two sons (reserving an annuity often pounds 
for his wife while she remained a widow), and to 
his daughter he left merely the sum of thirty 
pounds to be paid her when she reached the age 
of eighteen. The property thus willed to the 
sons remained in the family for one hundred and 
seven years, then passed to another branch of the 
same family. 

The son of Lodewick Titman, the lineal 
ancestor of our subject, was George, born in 1726; 
he married, reared a family and died in 1796. 
One of his sons, his namesake, was born March 4, 
1750, and died September 4, 1796. He married 
Lena Albright. In 1793 he added two hundred 
acres of laud to his Bridgeville property and this 
is the old homestead of our subject. One of the 
children of George and Lena Titman was Jacob, 
our subject's grandfather, who was born April 4, 
1 78 1, married Elizabeth Mayberry April 11, 
1802, and died February 25, 1S64. His son, 
Jabez Gwinnup, born March 22, 1812, was the 
father of our subject. 

William Blair Titman was born in Bridgeville, 
Warren County, September 7, 1844, and was an 



22 



5i8 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



only child. His father, Jabez GwinnupTitman, 
was born upon the same farm as himself and was 
considered an excellent business man and a practi- 
cal agriculturist. He was very liberal to all enter- 
prises deserving of support and was a patriotic 
citizen. His death took place December 14, 1889. 
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mar} r Ann 
Blair, was a daughter of William Blair, who 
assisted in building the Lutheran Church at 
Greenwich, N. J. She passed away October 17, 
1870. 

The paternal grandparents of the subject of this 
article were Jacob and Elizabeth (Mayberry) 
Titmau. In his youth William Blair Titman 
attended the public schools of Bridgeville and 
later was a student in the Belvidere Academy. 
From the time that he was twenty he engaged in 
farming until he retired to enjoy the fruits of his 
many years of unremitting toil. Since then, 
1890, he has been living in his comfortable and 
handsome home, which is one of the finest in the 
town. He still owns several valuable farms, on 
which was raised in the year 1897 nearly twelve 
thousand bushels of corn. In addition to this he 
owns considerable property in town. On the 
organization of the Washington National Bank at 
Washington, N. J., in April, 1898, hewaselected 
president of the institution, which is a new bank, 
organized with a capital stock of $50,000. He is 
also president of the West Jersey Telephone 
Company. Politically he is a Democrat. 

November 28, 1865, Mr. Titman married 
Margaret E. Roseberry. They have an only 
child, Annie Blair, now the wife of Dr. G. W. 
Cummins, of Belvidere. Mrs. Titman is a 
daughter of Joseph and Sally Ann (Depue) 
Roseberry, both now deceased. Her father, who 
was a Republican politically and in religion a 
member of the first Presbyterian Church or- 
ganized in his neighborhood, was a life-long res- 
ident of Oxford Township and the town of 
Belvidere. His wife was, like himself, an earnest 
Christian and a consistent member of the church. 
Both were fond of reading and were well informed 
and intelligent. They reared five sons and four 
daughters, all still living, and all, by their in- 



tegrity and enterprise, being a credit to their 
parents. With his wife Mr. Titman holds mem- 
bership in the First Presbyterian Church of 
Belvidere and he is now one of the trustees of the 
congregation. His large possessions are the 
result of well-applied business methods, perse- 
verance in whatever he undertakes, and the ex- 
ercise of unusual wisdom in investments. He 
enjoys the high respect of all with whom he has 
ever had any dealings, whether in a business or 
social way, and is active in all good works. 



pQlLLIAM S. CREVELING, M. D. This 
\ A / sterling old citizen of Bethlehem Town- 
VV ship, Hunterdon County, was for many 
years actively engaged in the practice of medi- 
cine, but has been retired for a number of years. 
Many of his old patients, however, will not give 
him up, and he frequently good naturedly ac- 
quiesces in their wishes that he should attend 
them as of old. He is also often called into con- 
sultation with other physicians, his long and prac- 
tical experience making his judgment of great 
value in difficult cases. He was honored by be- 
ing made a permanent delegate from the County 
Medical to the State Medical Association, which 
convenes each year. During the past decade 
he has been a director in the National Bank of 
Bloomsbury and for two years past has been the 
vice-president of this well-known institution. 

The ancestors of the doctor were originally in- 
habitants of Holland, and were numbered anions: 
the earliest settlers of the Muscouetcong Valley. 
The following is a record of the first couple of the 
name in that locality. Johannes Creveling, born 
January 6, 1706, was married September 6, 1737, 
to Catharine, born July 12, 17 16. They were 
married in Woverlingen, Holland, by Rev. 
Johannes Everhartus. Their children were as 
follows: William, born February 14, 1739, mar- 
ried January 28, 1762, to Catharine Weller, by 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



5i9 



Charles Huff, Esq.; Mar}-, born April 24, 1740, 
married January 28, 1762, to Henry Strader, by 
the same Charles Huff; Henry, born November 
6, 1741, married July 1, 1770, to Sarah Weller 
by Thomas Van Home; Andrew, born February 
28, 1743, married June 18, 1 77 1 , to Margaret 
Patrick, by minister McHanuah; Johannes, born 
February 22, 1745, married February 8, 1776, to 
Mar}' Knowles, by Mr. Stright; Margaret, born 
September 31, 1747, married March 30, 1763, to 
David Beer, by Mr. Rosebrook, minister; Chris- 
tiana, born September 30, 1749, married Novem- 
ber 29, 1769, to Jacob Weller, by Thomas Van 
Home; Peter, born February 22, 1753; Jacob, 
born March 25, 1755; Anne, born March 10, 1758, 
married December 13, 1778, to John Brinkerhoff, 
by Joseph Treate. Jacob, the tenth child, was 
the grandfather of the doctor. 

The parents of our subject were William H. 
and Mary (Barber) Creveling. The father was 
the youngest son of Jacob Creveling and was born 
July 31, 1801, on the farm which had been cleared 
by his grandfather Johannes, the Hollander. 
This property has been in the family for four gen- 
erations, and to-day the doctor is living on a por- 
tion of the original estate. He is one of twelve 
children, five living, viz.: Jacob, of New York 
City; William S., George, of Washington, D. C; 
Isabella, wife of George W. Scott, of Bloomsbury; 
and Marques, the youngest, who lives at Blooms- 
bury; Christiana, who lived to maturity, is de- 
ceased, as is also Elizabeth, who was the wife of 
John Hunt; also Charlotte, Francelea and John 
James. 

William S. Creveling was born in Bethlehem 
Township, on the land which had been once 
owned by his ancestor, Johannes Creveling, the 
date of his birth being November 21, 1829. He 
was reared on the farm and received a good edu- 
cation. His studies included the classics, and 
under the supervision of Dr. John Blaue, ofPerry- 
ville, Hunterdon County, he commenced his 
medical research. In 1S51 he received the decree 
of Doctor of Medicine in the University of New 
York, and after having a year of practical work 
with his preceptor, he located in Stanton, Hunter- 



don County. Here he remained for twenty-two 
years, attaining an enviable reputation as a physi- 
cian. In 1874 he removed to Bethlehem village 
(now called West Portal) and has not been ac- 
tively occupied in practice since. He owns one 
hundred and fifty acres of the old farm, and rents 
it to a responsible tenant. There are two sets of 
buildings on the place, and he resides in one 
house, while the other is occupied by the tenant. 
At one time he held stock in the Glitze piano 
factory and had other investments. It has always 
been a fixed principle with him that he would not 
accept public position, and though he was urged 
to become a candidate for the assembly, he ad- 
hered to his usual tactics, and declined the honor. 
He has voted the Republican ticket since the or- 
ganization of the party, and during the war was 
earnest in his advocacy of the Union cause. He 
is identified with the First Presbyterian Church 
of Bloomsbury, of which he has been a member 
for a number of years. 

January 2, 1854, the doctor married Thisby M. 
Britton, daughter of the late John S. Britton, of 
Hunterdon County. They had two daughters, 
Martha, now the widow of Dr. Alberts. Shannon, 
who succeeded our subject in practice in Stanton, 
N. J., and Mary, wife of John W. Creveling, an 
attorney and assistant cashier of the Bloomsbury 
National Bank. 



m 



LJAS V. NAYEOR, deceased, was highly 
>) respected during his useful and busy life, 
_ and though he was summoned to the better 
land over twenty years ago, his memory is still 
cherished in the hearts of many friends and asso- 
ciates who held him dear while he was among 
them. He was a miller by trade, and followed 
that calling in connection with agriculture as a 
means of making his livelihood. At his death, 
which occurred while he was in the prime of 
manhood, forty-seven years of age, February 20, 



520 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



1876, lie left his family well provided for. Since 
then his widow has managed the property with 
excellent ability and soon developed remarkable 
talent as a financier. She deserves great credit 
for the success she has achieved and commands 
the esteem and high regard of all who know her. 

The birth of our subject occurred in New 
Jersey in 1832, he being a son of Elias and Mary 
Naylor. His boyhood was spent in this county, 
and from his early years he devoted himself to 
farming. In political matters he was a Demo- 
crat, but was never an office-seeker or very active, 
simply doing his duty as a citizen and voter. In 
1857 he married Harriet J., daughter of Jacob 
and Jane A. (Voorhees) Dilts, all natives of this 
state. 

Mrs. Naylor has two sisters living: Mary A. 
and Sarah M. Her grandfather, Paul Dilts, was 
likewise born in New Jersey and followed agri- 
culture. Her father was a miller and farmer 
and owned considerable property. She was born 
April 2, 1848, and was brought up on her father's 
farm, receiving a district-school education. For 
years she has been a member of the Reformed 
Church, in the teaching of which she was reared. 
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Naylor five 
children were born. Three of the number have 
passed to the silent land and those who remain 
are Oscar and Elias V. , the latter named in honor 
of his revered father. 



^JEORGE G. BARKER is serving his second 
— I term as postmaster of Pattenburg, Hunterdon 
^ County, and has proved a thoroughly satis- 
factory official to the general public. He was 
honored with the appointment to this position by 
President Cleveland during his first term in the 
White House, and when that executive returned 
to power was again placed in charge of the local 
mail department. He has been very zealous in 
promoting the interests of the Democratic party, 



to whose principles he is a hearty subscriber. He 
held the office of commissioner of deeds a few 
years ago and has acted in other minor places of 
public trust. 

The gentleman of whom we write is one of the 
most enterprising and aggressive business men of 
Pattenburg. His store is a model of its kind, is 
neatly arranged and kept in a systematic manner. 
He carries a well-selected stock of goods, staple 
and fancy articles, replenishing his lines from 
time to time to meet the demands of the trade. 
He has had considerable experience in the com- 
mercial field and is practical and methodical in 
his manner of transacting business. Thoroughly 
upright and reliable in his dealing with all, he 
merits the respect which is freely accorded him 
by our people. 

The father of the above was Morgan Barker, a 
native of New York. He removed to Morris 
Count}', N. J., in 1834 or 1835, and engaged in 
farming, but later engaged in merchandising in 
Morristown. After some ten years had elapsed 
he located in Brookside, where he continued in 
business until he decided to retire. His death 
occurred in Newark in 1895. He had married 
Eleanor Hoyt, of Norfolk, Conn., and had eight 
children, named as follows: John, who died in 
1890; Julia A., wife of S. E. Condit, of Newark; 
Seymour, who died at the age of twelve years; 
Charles E., in the wholesale commission business 
in Newark; Morgan, who is with his brother 
Charles E. ; Eleanor Hoyt, wife of William Ayer, 
of Whippany, N. J.; and Isabel, who married 
Percy Sanford, a jeweler of New York City. 

George G. Barker was born in Morris Count}', 
August 13, 1845, and was reared on a farm. He 
assisted his father in his business and early ac- 
quired practical knowledge, which has been of 
great benefit to him in later years. When he was 
about nineteen he went out west, and during the 
following five years traveled extensively through 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas and 
Missouri. At the end of this period he returned 
home, having concluded that there was no better 
country than his native state. He joined his 
father in his business in Brookside, remaining 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



521 



there four years. He then sold out his interest 
to his senior and came to Pattenburg, in 1876. 
Here he opened a store containing general mer- 
chandise and has since conducted it successfully 
alone. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and 
one and a-half acres in Union Township, and 
is an extensive fruit grower. 

In 1S78 Mr. Barker married Sarah J., daughter 
of Matthias H. and Mary Case, of this town. 
Two children, a son and a daughter, have been 
born to this worthy couple, viz.: C. Edgar, in 
1881; and Emma S., in 1885. The son is a most 
promising youth, and is now a student in Easton 
College. The daughter is at home and is a pupil 
in the local schools. Mr. and Mrs. Barker are 
members of the Methodist Church and are active- 
ly concerned in its various departments of useful- 
ness. Mr. Barker has been superintendent of the 
Sunday-school and steward and treasurer of the 
church, and when the new edifice was under con- 
struction he was a member of the building com- 
mittee, and very active in the work. 



^JEORGE H. DALEEY is a well-known busi- 
_ ness man and leading citizen of the vicinity 
JJ of Mechanicsville, Hunterdon County. For 
the past few years he has devoted his time and 
attention to the raising of fruit, and has been 
prospered financially. He owns a valuable little 
farm of twenty- two acres, all but six of which 
are planted with fine peach trees, from which 
each year the owner reaps a bountiful harvest of 
the luscious fruit. The large cities of this region 
create a demand for the same, and good prices are 
always to be obtained by the producer. 

The father of our subject was Nicholas Dalley, 
a native of New Jersey, and, for the greater part 
of his life, a resident of Hunterdon County. In 
his early manhood he learned the shoemaker's 
trade and followed it for a short time, after which 
he was exclusively devoted to agriculture. Of 



a cruiet, unassuming nature, he preferred to keep 
strictly in the private walks of life, but at differ- 
ent times occupied minor local positions in his 
own community. In politics he was a Republi- 
can, and in religious belief he held to the old Re- 
formed Church, serving it in the capacities of 
deacon and elder. He died in September, 1880, 
loved and respected by all who had known him. 
Of the children born to himself and estimable 
wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Demott, 
eight survive. Julius and John are carpenters 
by trade and are residents of Newark, N. J. 
Amanda is the wife of P. V. D. Nevius, of Somer- 
set County, N. J. Elizabeth is the wife of 
Joseph Higgins, of Somerset County. William 
lives in White House. Mary C. is the wife of 
S. H. Hagaman, of Readington Township, Hun- 
terdon County. Charles C, a carpenter, makes 
his home in Newark, N. J., where his two eldest 
brothers are located. 

George H. Dalley was born in Hunterdon 
County, December 28, 1840, and was reared to 
manhood upon his father's farm in Readington 
Township. He received a good education in the 
public school and is to-day a man of varied in- 
formation, largely the result of his private study, 
reading and observation. In 1872 he bought 
what was known as the White House grist-mill, 
and proceeded to operate the same for a period of 
about thirteen years. In addition to command- 
ing much of the local trade, he shipped the sur- 
plus product to Somerville, N. J. , and to New 
York City and other points, and did a flourish- 
ing business. In 1SS5 he sold out his interest in 
the mill and invested the amount received in his 
farm, since which time he has been a very en- 
thusiastic agriculturist. His neighbors and 
numerous friends place the fullest confidence in 
him, and upon several occasions he has been 
made executor and administrator of estates in 
this vicinity. In his political affiliations he is a 
Prohibitionist, as he believes strongly that the 
matter of temperance should be a national issue, 
and thinks that it will ultimately become so, even 
though the other great parties threaten to keep 
his own in a hopeless minority. In the mean- 



522 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



time he endeavors to the best of his ability to 
promote all enterprises which have for their object 
the elevation of society and the public good. He 
is a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and is now serving as a steward and a 
trustee. 

September 3, 1863, Mr. Dalley married Eme- 
liue Welsh, who died October 17, 1890, leaving 
no children. Afterward he was united in mar- 
riage with Mary A., daughter of Rev. M. Herr, 
a well-known minister in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church in his prime, and later a merchant in 
White House. He was quite prominent in Read- 
ington Township, and during the war was a 
strong advocate of the freedom of the slave. He 
died in 1895, loved and admired by all who had 
been blessed with his acquaintanceship. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dalley have one child, Edith H. 



"HE MAXWELL FAMILY is an ancient 
and honorable one, being descended from 
Maccus, son of Anlaf, King of Northum- 
bria, A. D. 949. The family, with fourteen others 
mentioned by Lord Hales, accompanied Edward 
Atheling into Scotland when England submitted 
to William of Normandy. Whether the family 
was of Saxon or Schleswig-Holsteiu origin is 
still a debated question among Scottish antiqua- 
rians. The name has passed through the various 
forms of Maccusville, Maccuswell and Maxwell, 
which last has been retained since about A. D. 
1 1 50. There are several branches of the family 
and many offshoots from each. During the re- 
ligious persecutions of the sixteenth and seven- 
teenth centuries they were divided and suffered 
much in the many contests, being conspicuously 
connected with Scottish history. The New Jer- 
sey branch descended from Thomas Maxwell, 
particularly mentioned by Lord Macauley in his 
history of England concerning the War of 1689 



as being in King James' army during the Irish 
revolt and who commanded the rear guard of 
St. Ruth's army at the battle of Athlone (June 
22, 1691,) and "held the bridge" on that event- 
ful day. He was of the "Kirkconnel Line," 
which had its home in the valley of the Nith, 
Scotland. Another branch of the family had its 
headquarters at Caerlaverock Castle, in Dum- 
frieshire, Scotland, on the shore of the Solway. 

At the capitulation of Limerick in 1 69 1 Thomas 
Maxwell chose to remain in Ireland, and settled 
in County Tyrone. His father was John Max- 
well, of Kirkconnel. Legend assigns to this 
branch of the Maxwell family the motto, "Je 
suis pret," which was obtained as follows: When 
Wallace was in greatest straits, hiding in the 
caves and glens near Lanark, the leader of the 
Maxwell clan hunted him up and tendered to him 
himself and followers. To this offer Wallace is 
said to have replied: "Ready, aye ready, noble 
Scot!" from which remark the motto was taken. 

John Maxwell, the progenitor in America of 
this branch of the Maxwell family, emigrated 
from County Tyrone, Ireland, and settled in what 
is now Greenwich Township, Warren County, 
N. J., about 1747. Owing to the destruction by 
fire of the church records in Ireland it has been for 
many years impossible to establish with certaint}' 
who were the parents of John Maxwell, emigrant. 
He brought with him to America his wife, Ann, 
and four children, viz.: 1. William (afterwards 
brigadier-general of the Continental line) ; 2. John 
(afterwards captain in the Revolutionary war); 
3. Jane (married James Kenned}-, of Bucks 
County, Pa.) ; and 4. Robert (afterwards lieu- 
tenant in the Revolutionary war). All of the 
above, except Jane, are buried in the graveyard 
adjoining the Old Stone Church in Greenwich 
Township, Warren County, N. J. 

William Maxwell,* of Revolutionary war fame, 
was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, 1733, and 



*See Snell's History of Warren and Sussex Counties, N. J., 
pp. 51, 53, 6r. Snell's History of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties, 
N. J., p. 251. Minutes of N. J. Prov. Cong, and Council of Safety, 
1775-1776, pp. 19, 169, 184. Officers and Men of N. J. in the Revolu- 
tionary war, Stryker, pp. 51, 53, 64, 353. Heilnian's Historical Reg- 
ister of Officers in Continental army. p. 2S9. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



523 



came to this country with his parents. He en- 
listed in the military service at an early age and 
took part in the French and Indian war. He 
was with General Braddock at the battle of Fort 
Duquesne, July 9, 1755, and with General Aber- 
crombie on his expedition of July, 1759, against 
Ticonderoga, and is reported to have been with 
General Wolfe at the fall of Quebec, 1759. He 
was subsequently attached to the commissary 
department of the British army at Mackinaw, 
Mich., with the rank of colonel. It is not known 
when he left the British service, but it must have 
been prior to 1774, for in that year (July 16, 
1774,) he was appointed at a meeting of the free- 
holders and inhabitants of Sussex County at 
Newton one of the ten deputies to meet with 
other deputies and appoint representatives to the 
General Congress. He was himself appointed a 
representative to the first Provincial Congress of 
New Jersey at Trenton, which met May 23, 1775, 
and was present at the session, lasting until June 
3, and reconvened August 5, when he was again 
present. He was also a member of the Sussex 
County Committee of Safety, which met at New- 
ton August 10 and 11, 1773, and was made 
chairman of the committee meeting. 

September 21, 1775, he was again elected a 
deputy to the second Provincial Congress and was 
present at the October session. At this session 
it was resolved to raise two battalions for conti- 
nental service, and October 28, 1775, William 
Maxwell was recommended to the General Con- 
gress for appointment as colonel of one of the 
battalions. A commission was duly issued to 
him as colonel by the General Congress Novem- 
ber 8, 1775, and dated as of October 25, 1775. 
He shortly afterwards raised a battalion, but 
there was great delay in obtaining arms, clothing 
and equipments, so that though ordered to march 
to Quebec to the relief of the army there in the 
latter part of 1775, it was not until the end of 
February that he was able to start on his journey 
with four companies, the remainder of the bat- 
talion being ordered to follow under command of 
Lieutenant- Colonel Shreve. They marched by 
way of Lakes George and Champlain and crossed 



them on the ice, reaching the St. Lawrence early 
in March. 

Colonel Maxwell's troops were at the battle of 
Three Rivers June 8, 1776, and he conducted the 
retreat on that occasion with great merit. On 
July 8, 1776, he with twenty other field officers 
joined in a remonstrance address to Gen. Philip 
Schuyler against the abandonment of Crown 
Point. October 23, 1776, he received his com- 
mission as brigadier-general from Congress and 
was sent by General Washington December 20, 
1776, to take command of the militia at Morris- 
town and to harass and annoy the enemy in their 
quarters. He was thus engaged when the bat- 
tles of Trenton and Princeton were fought, so 
that he did not take an active part in those bat- 
tles. After these battles he continued to chase 
and worry the British at Newark, Elizabethtown 
and Spanktown (Rahway) with great success. 
His command was known as "Maxwell's Bri- 
gade" and was in May, 1777, a part of the di- 
vision encamped at Elizabethtown, Bound Brook 
and Spanktown, under the command of Major- 
General Stephen. This division during the sum- 
mer marched through Pennsylvania, and on De- 
cember 11, 1777, a portion of the "Jersey Line" 
opened the battle of Brandywine and continued 
all day. This brigade had a skirmish after the 
battle of Brandywine at White Horse Tavern, on 
the Lancaster road, passed near Yellow Springs 
Furnace, Worcester, and then finally encamped 
at Germantown. Maxwell's Brigade, with some 
North Carolina troops, formed the reserve corps 
and left wing of the army at the battle of German- 
town under the command of Major-General Lord 
Stirling, and distinguished itself in this fight, 
especially the first battalion. Maxwell's Brigade 
spent most of the winter with the army at Valley 
Forge, and June 18, 1778, was detached from the 
main army and with some militia was ordered to 
harass General Clinton and impede his force. 

June 28, 1778, the "Jersey Line" joined the 
left wing of the army and took part in the battle 
of Monmouth. May 11, 1779, Maxwell's Brigade 
was ordered to join Major-General Sullivan on 
his expedition against the Indians in consequence 



524 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



of the "Wyoming Massacre," and at once started, 
leaving Eastern, Pa., June iS, 1779, where the 
three regiments composing the force had rendez- 
voused. They returned in October, passing 
through Easton October 15, and marched to 
Scotch Plains, N. J., where they went into winter 
quarters November 5, 1779. 

June 23, 1780, the troops under command of 
General Maxwell took a prominent part in the 
battle of Springfield. Shortly after this battle 
General Maxwell resigned (July 20, 1780). 
There has been much speculation as to the cause 
of his resignation and several reasons given, the 
generally accepted one being that he was dissatis- 
fied because of the promotion of a subordinate, 
but more aristocratic, officer over him. This is 
not in accordance with his good record as a sol- 
dier, who had the welfare of his adopted country 
so much at heart, nor do the records bear out this 
assertion, there having been no promotions of 
that grade of officer for a long time prior to his 
resignation. The cause was probably well known 
to General Washington, who was with the arm}', 
as appears by his prompt action in forwarding 
the resignation to congress. The letter of resig- 
nation stated, "I have not found my command in 
the Jersey Brigade for some time past as agree- 
able as I could wish," without stating the rea- 
sons, and General Washington in his letter 
accompanying the resignation said to congress: 
"The merits of this general are well known * * 
I believe him to be an honest man, a warm friend 
to his country and firmly attached to its inter- 
ests. * * " This letter would scarcely have 
been written concerning an insubordinate officer 
who was disaffected. 

All the accounts agree that he was a brave, 
gallant and vigilant officer and rendered most 
important service to the American cause. It is 
also stated that "His personal frankness and the 
absence of all haughtiness in his manner made 
him a great favorite with the soldiers." After 
his retirement from the army he lived at his 
home in Greenwich Township, Sussex County, 
and was elected to the New Jersey assembly in 
in 1783. He again retired to his home after this 



and lived quietly, making occasional visits to his 
friends. He spent much time with his old army 
friend, Col. Charles Stewart, at Lansdown, Hunt- 
erdon Count}', where he died November 4, 1796, 
while on a visit. He never married. 

He was buried at the old Stone Church in 
Greenwich Township, and on his tomb is the 
following inscription written by ex-Gov. Richard 
Howell: 

"Beneath this Marble lies the body of Brigadier 
General WILXIAM MAXWELX, eldest sou of 
John & Anna Maxwell of the township of Green- 
wich, county of Sussex & State of New Jersey, 
who departed this life on the 4th of November 
in the year of our L,ord 1796 in the 63rd year of 
his age. In the revolutionary war, which estab- 
lished the independence of the United States of 
America He took an early and active part. A 
distinguished military Partisan He arose thro' 
different grades in the American Army, a genuine 
Patriot. He was a firm & decided friend To the 
Constitution & Government of his Country. In 
private life he was equally devoted to its service 
& to the good of the community of which he was 
a member. An honest & charitable man, a warm 
& affectionate friend, a zealous advocate of the 
institutions & An active promoter of the Interests 
of the Christian Religion." 

Capt. John Maxwell* was born in County 
Tyrone, Ireland, and settled with his parents in 
Morris (now Warren) County, N. J., about 1747, 
where he lived on his father's farm. He married 
(1) Elizabeth Sloan, who died shortly afterwards, 
and later married (2) Mary Ann Clifford, by 
whom he had nine children, viz.: Elizabeth, who 
married Thomas Williams; Ann, who married 
Samuel Sherrerd; George Clifford Maxwell, Esq., 
late of Fleming-ton, N. J.; Mary, who married 
Adam Ramsay; Jane; Sarah, who married Will- 
iam Nixon Eummis, M. D.; John; William Max- 
well, Esq., late of Flemington; and John, 2d. 

On the breaking out of the Revolutionary war 
he enlisted and was made lieutenant of the first 



*See Snell's History of Warren and Sussex Counties, pp. 61-62, 
161. Officers and Men of N. J., in the Revolutionary War, Strvker, 
p. 400. Meitman's Hist. Reg. of Officers of Cent. Army, p. 2S9. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



525 



company raised in Sussex County, N. J., being 
subsequently promoted to be captain, and was 
attached to the Second Regiment, Hunterdon 
County Militia. He was also captain in Colonel 
Spencer's additional Regiment — Continental line 
—from February 7, 1777, to April 11, 1778, 
when he resigned. He later raised a company 
of one hundred volunteers from Sussex and Hunt- 
erdon Counties and tendered their services to 
General Washington, when he was much reduced 
in force. The company was known as "Max- 
well's Company," and their addition to the ranks 
was very acceptable. He participated in the 
battles of Trenton, Assunpink, Princeton, Bran- 
dy wine, Germantown, Monmouth and Spring- 
field. 

After the close of the war he returned to his 
farm and was appointed one of the judges of 
Hunterdon County February 23, 1795, and again, 
November 30, 1800. He removed to Flemington 
about this time and lived there until his death, 
February 15, 1828. His wife died June 4, 1804, 
and he afterwards married Mrs. Elizabeth Kirk- 
patrick Sloan. He was buried at the old Stone 
Church, Greenwich Township, N. J., and the 
following epitaph is inscribed on his tomb: 

"JOHN MAXWELL, Esq., second son of 
John & Anna Maxwell. He was born in the 
county of Tyrone in Ireland Nov. 25th A. D. 
1739 and at an early age emigrated with his 
father to New Jersey. He was Lieutenant in the 
first company raised in Sussex County for the 
defence of his adopted country in the Revolu- 
tionary war; and soon after in the darkest hour 
of her fortunes joined the army of General 
Washington as Captain of a company of 100 vol- 
unteers. He was engaged in the battles of Tren- 
ton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Mon- 
mouth and Springfield; and ever distinguished 
as a brave and able officer; having served his 
country in various military and civil offices and 
faithfully discharged his various duties as a Sol- 
dier, a Citizen, a Christian; he closed a long and 
useful life at his residence at Flemington, Febru- 
ary 15th A. D. 182S, in the Eighty-ninth year of 
his age. ' ' 



John Maxwell Sherrerd was born September 6, 
1794, being the eldest child of Samuel Sherrerd 
and Ann Maxwell. The father of Samuel Sher- 
rerd was John Sherrerd, who emigrated to Amer- 
ica from the city of London about the middle of 
the last century and settled at Pleasant Valley, 
now Washington Township, Warren County, 
(then Mansfield Township, Sussex County) . He 
owned a large farm and carried on a store and 
grist and saw mills. John Sherrerd had two sous, 
Samuel and John, the latter of whom moved to 
Philadelphia and married Mary Duseubery, a 
daughter of Henry Duseubery, of New Hamp- 
ton, N. J., and for a while a resident of Phila- 
delphia. Samuel Sherrerd married Ann Max- 
well, a daughter of Capt. John Maxwell, and con- 
tinued to live at Pleasant Valley, where John 
Maxwell Sherrerd was born. John M. Sherrerd 
graduated at Nassau Hall in 1812 and studied 
law with Hon. George C. Maxwell and later 
with Hon. Charles Ewing. He was admitted to 
practice in 18 16 and formed a partnership with 
William Maxwell, Esq., at Flemington, N. J. 
He married Sarah Browne, of Philadelphia, May 
19, 1818, and had three children, viz.: Samuel, 
John Browne and Sarah Dutton, who married Dr. 
Philip F. Brakeley. He subsequently became 
the first surrogate of Warren County, N. J., and 
moved to Belvidere, N. J., in 1826, where he 
died, May 26, 1871. 

Samuel Sherrerd, the eldest child of John M. 
Sherrerd and Sarah Browne, was born April 25, 
1819, at Pleasant Valley, N. J., and removed 
with his father to Belvidere in 1826. He grad- 
uated at Princeton College in 1836, and studied 
law with H. D. Maxwell, Esq., at Easton, Pa., 
and was admitted to the bar of Northampton 
County, Pa., in 1842. He subsequently engaged 
in business at Scrantou, Pa., and in Bottetout, 
Va., and was a pioneer in the iron business 
in Virginia, though too early to reap the 
benefits of his labors. He practiced law for a 
while at Scrantou, Pa., and returtied to Belvi- 
dere in 1868. In 1873 he was admitted as an at- 
torney in New Jersey, and in 1874 was appointed 
president judge of the common pleas of Warren 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



County. He married Ma}' 6, 1847, Frances Maria 
Hamilton. He died June 21, 18S4. 

Samuel Sherrerd Clark, M. D., was born at 
Flemington, N. J., November 8, 1825, and was a 
son of Rev. John Flavel and Mary (Sherrerd) 
Clark, and a grandson of Joseph and Margaret 
(Imlay) Clark. Joseph Clark served in the Revo- 
lutionary war in the Third Regiment, Hunter- 
don County Militia. He was quartermaster on 
the staff of Maj. Adam Stephen and was later as- 
signed to General Lafayette's division. 

Samuel S. Clark attended school at Rev. John 
Vanderveer's, Easton, Pa., and was admitted to 
Lafayette College in 1841, where he remained two 
years, then entering the junior class of Princeton 
College, where he graduated in 1845. In 1848 he 
graduated from the medical department of the 
University of New York and the same year es- 
tablished himself in the practice of medicine at 
Belvidere, N. J., where he became very promi- 
nent as a physician. 

He married February 9, 1854, Jane Clyde 
Kennedy, a daughter of Dr. James Clyde Ken- 
nedy, of Stewartsville, N. J. They had one child, 
Mary Sherrerd Clark. 

Samuel S. Clark died at Belvidere, N. J., No- 
vember 23, 1885. 

George Clifford Maxwell was the third child, 
but oldest son of John and Mary A. Clifford Max- 
well. He was born in Greenwich Township, 
Sussex County, N. J., May 31, 1774. He was 
admitted to the bar as an attorney 1797, as a 
counsellor 1800, and as sergeant at law 1806. He 
was a member of congress 1S11-1813, and died 
March 16, 1816, at Flemington, N. J. 

He married Rachel Bryan, a daughter of John 
P. and Mary Ann(Sloan) Bryan, and had two chil- 
dren, viz.: John P. B. Maxwell and Anna Maria, 
who married William P. Robeson. 

John Patterson Bryan Maxwell was born at 
Flemington, N. J., September 3, 1804, and was 
the son of George Clifford and Rachel (Bryan) 
Maxwell. He graduated at Nassau Hall in 1823 
and afterwards studied law with Hon. Joseph C. 
Hornblower at Newark, N. J., and was admitted 
as an attorney in 1S27 and as counsellor in 1830. 



In 1836 he was elected to congress and again in 
1840. He was for a time the editor of the Bel- 
videre Apollo and was the author of "Historical 
Collections" — 1841. 

He married Sarah Browne, who lived but a few 
weeks after the marriage. He died at Belvidere, 
November 14, 1845. 

Elizabeth Fries Lummis was born at Sodus 
Point, N. Y., in October, 1818, and was a daugh- 
ter of William Nixon and Sarah (Maxwell) Lum- 
mis. She wrote a volume of poems, which was 
published in 1835; "Women of the American 
Revolution," "Summer Rambles in the West," 
"Queens of American Society," and numerous 
other works. 

She married William H. Ellet, M. D., and died 
June 3, 1877. 

William Maxwell was a son of John and Mary 
A. Clifford Maxwell, and was born in Greenwich 
Township, Sussex County, N. J., May 5, 1785. 
He attended Princeton College, graduating in 
1804. After his graduation he studied law with 
his brother, Hon. George C. Maxwell, at Flem- 
ington, N. J., and was admitted to the bar in 
1808 and became counsellor at law in 18 17. He 
married January 16, 1812, Sarah Dusenbery, a 
daughter of Maj. Henry Dusenbery, of New 
Hampton, Hunterdon Count}', N. J., and had 
seven children, viz.: Henry Dusenbery; Mary 
Elizabeth, who married Hon. Washington Mc- 
Cartney, of Easton, Pa.; Lydia Dusenbery, John, 
William, Sarah and Joseph Warren. 

He died August 20, 182S, at the age of forty- 
three years. He was buried in the First Presby- 
terian Church yard at Flemington, N. J., and his 
grave is marked by the following tomb stone: 
In Memory of 
WILLIAM MAXWELL, Esq. 
Councillor at Law. 
Aequalege necessitas sortitur 
insignes et imos. 

Henry Dusenbery Maxwell was born in Flem- 
ington, N. J., December 5, 1812, being the eldest 
child of William Maxwell and Sarah Dusenbery, 
his wife. His father dying, he at the age of fif- 
teen years gave up the long cherished desire to 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



527 



enter Princeton College, for which he had pre- 
pared himself to enter the sophomore class and 
became an usher in the boarding school of Rev. 
Robert Steel, D.D., at Abington, Pa. 

March 3, 1829, he was appointed a midshipman 
in the United States navy by Hon. Samuel L. 
Southard, which he declined. 

He shortly afterward began the study of law 
with Nathaniel Saxton, continuing it under 
Thomas A. Hartzell, of Somerville, and his cousin 
John P. B. Maxwell, of Belvidere, N.J. He was 
admitted to the bar of New Jersey September 4, 
1S34, and opened an office in Phillipsburg, N. J., 
residing at the time at Easton, Pa. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar of Northampton County Novem- 
ber 25, 1834, and in 1835 he associated himself 
with Hon. J. Madison Porter. He was deputy 
attorney general for Northampton County in 
1848-49. January 16, 1850, he was appointed 
by President Taylor consul for the United 
States at Trieste, in Austria, which position he 
held for about a year, when he returned to the 
practice of his profession. July 21, 1856, he was 
appointed by Governor Pollock president judge of 
the Third Judicial District, Pa., upon the death 
of Hon. Washington McCartney, and was re- 
appointed in 1862 by Gov. A. G. Curtin. He 
married May 9, 1854, Maria Louisa Honeyman, a 
daughter of John Honeyman, M. D. , of New 
Gerrnautown, N. J., and had four children, viz.: 
Laura; Mary Elizabeth, who married Henry Mc- 
Keen, of Easton, Pa.; Henry D. and Lucy E., 
who married John Eyerman, of Easton, Pa. He 
died at Easton, Pa., October 3, 1874. 



— h-— j — gcs-jV©;"" 1 ^ 8 " - ~<—~:— — 



"TRASTUS W. SUTTON, a wide-awake, 

'(D hustling young business man of Lebanon, 

_ Hunterdon County, is the proprietor of a 

well-equipped and well-managed establishment. 

Though he has conducted the same for a }'ear, he 

has already built up a promising trade, and has a 



hopeful future before him in the world of com- 
merce. From his father he inherited keen finan- 
cial ability, excellent judgment and wise fore- 
sight, and it is safe to predict for him a prosper- 
ous career. 

The grandparents of our subject were Aaron 
and Catherine Sutton, both of whom were natives 
of Morris County, N. J. The grandfather died 
before our subject was born, but the aged grand- 
mother, born in 1800, lived until 1894. Their 
family comprised seven children, of whom our 
subject's father, Aaron S., was the fourth. The 
others were: Julia A., who became the wife of 
William Eick, of Lebanon, and is now deceased; 
Mary E., wife of Richard Stevens, of Milldale, 
N. J. ; Jane, deceased, formerly the wife of George 
Fleming, of Fairmount, Hunterdon County; 
Hannah, Mrs. Philip Schuyler Naughtright, of 
Morris County; Elizabeth, deceased, formerly the 
wife of George S. Hoffman, of Parker, Morris 
County; and Laura, who died in girlhood. 

During the greater part of his life Aaron S. 
Sutton has been engaged in merchandising in the 
town of Parker, Morris County. He makes a 
specialty of buying country produce and selling 
the same in the markets of Newark, N. J. He 
has met with very good success, and is still as 
active as ever in the management of his affairs. 
His first marriage was with Sarah Anderson, 
by whom he had three children, viz.: Austin E., 
now living in Newark; Elias B., who is engaged 
in general merchandising in Parker; and Edward, 
a physician located in German Valley, Morris 
County. After the death of his first wife Mr. 
Sutton married the lady who now bears his name, 
then Mary E. Apgar. The three children born 
to them are: E. W. , Eli L. and Roy. 

Erastus W. Sutton is a native of Morris County, 
his birth having occurred in Parker May 10, 
1876. He received a liberal education in the 
public schools of that locality, and when only 
nineteen years of age entered the store at 
Lebanon as a clerk with his elder brother, A. E. 
When he was twenty he took entire charge of the 
concern, under the firm name of E. W. Sutton, 
and has wisely and systematically managed the 



5 28 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



business since. He keeps a complete stock of 
general merchandise, such as is usually carried 
in a first-class general store, and by his fairness 
of dealing, his unfailing courtesy of manner and 
desire to meet the wishes of his customers, he has 
made an enviable reputation. He takes great 
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the town, and issues his right of franchise in 
favor of the nominees of the Democratic party. 



HOWARD SERVIS, M. D. For a period of 
over twenty years this sterling old citizen of 
Junction, Hunterdon County, has been 
located here, and actively engaged in practice. 
He stands deservedly high, not only in the re- 
gard of his neighbors and associates, but among 
his professional brethren, and even with those of 
the opposite school of medicine, and one and all 
have naught but the kindest words of praise for 
him. He is a general favorite wherever he 
goes, and his cheerful, sympathetic presence is a 
blessing in any sick-room. He is devoted to his 
work, and has always put his whole soul and 
heart into the calling. The physician wields an 
influence, perhaps even greater than does the 
minister, as his mission is one of practical help to 
those who are suffering and in need of sub- 
stantial aid, and he rarely realizes what a power 
for good and elevation of those who come be- 
neath his notice is his. A few words of sym- 
pathy, spiritual help and comfort make an im- 
pression upon the susceptible heart of the pa- 
tient or his friends that is never forgotten, and 
when this is done in a loving manner the phy- 
sician is fulfilling the noblest part of his mani- 
fold duties. 

Dr. Servis is a native of this county, having 
been born in or near Ringoes, October 6, 1829. 
His paternal grandfather was John Servis, who 
lived during the greater part of his career near 
Ringoes, but who was in Bucks County, Pa., for 



a period. There his son Garrett, father of the 
doctor, was born, November 7, 1801. The 
latter was practically self-educated, but, being 
naturally a great student, became well posted 
on various subjects. He was but nineteen when 
he successfully passed the required examination 
and obtained a school. In order to retain the 
same he was obliged to study industriously each 
evening, that he might keep ahead of his pupils. 
Success came to him, however, as a reward for 
his perseverance and hard work, and for over 
twenty years he was occupied in training the 
young idea. He served two years in the legis- 
lature, and in 1S47 was elected sheriff of the 
county. He was an ardent supporter of the Dem- 
ocratic party. After his three years' term as 
sheriff he turned his attention to farming for 
several years, later engaging in the drug busi- 
ness in Clinton. He was thus occupied up to 
the time of his death, which was very sudden, 
the cause being apoplexy. This event trans- 
pired on the 12th of December, 1862. While 
a resident of Clinton he was justice of the 
peace five years, and was postmaster of the 
town in 1857. He was greatly respected and 
his advice was sought and deferred to by nu- 
merous of his neighbors and friends. In 1828 he 
married Susan Stout, a great-granddaughter of 
John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration 
of Independence. They became the parents of 
three children: Howard; Emily, who married E. 
V. Parry, of Clinton; and one who died in early 
childhood. 

Dr. Howard Servis, of this sketch, received ex- 
cellent educational advantages, for his father was 
determined that his only boj^ should be accorded 
privileges that he had himself longed for in vain 
in his youth. After leaving the local academy 
Dr. Servis went to Philadelphia, where for four 
or five years he was in mercantile life. When 
he was about twenty-one he commenced the 
study of medicine and in the spring of 1S58 was 
graduated from the University of Pennsylvania 
with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. In the 
two years that followed he practiced his chosen 
profession in Fairmount, Tewksbury Township, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL. RECORD. 



529 



then locating in the neighboring town of New 
Hampton. In 1876 he came to Junction, where 
he has ever since made his home. He is a mem- 
ber of Mansfield Lodge No. 46, F. & A. M., of 
Washington, N. J., and politically is a Democrat. 
He attends Musconetcong Valley Presbyterian 
Church, to which he is a generous contributor. 
June 12, 1867, he married Belinda, daughter of 
Philip Johnson, of Washington, N. J. Their 
eldest- born died in infancy; the second child, 
Florence, is the wife of Prof. Robert D. Petty, of 
the New York Taw School; and Howard, Jr., is 
an enterprising young business man of Junction. 



Q ACOB F. FOX is one of the leading business 
I men of Hunterdon County, and by his enter- 
(2/ prising and progressive ideas, energy and 
perseverance has built up a very extensive and 
lucrative trade. Outside some of the larger cities 
he has undoubtedly as flourishing and well- 
equipped a department store as can be found in 
this state. He stands high in the respect of all 
with whom he has been brought into business re- 
lations, and thoroughly deserves the confidence 
which is bestowed upon him by his neighbors and 
patrons. In religious work and matters affecting 
the general public he takes an active part, and 
everything deserving of his support in this vicin- 
ity is sure of receiving the same without stint. 
He has been a resident of Annandale for the past 
sixteen years, and during this period has been 
thoroughly identified with the best interests of 
the town. 

The father of our subject was Charles Fox, a 
native of Bucks County, Pa. He came to this 
county when he was a youth of eighteen years, 
and thenceforth devoted his life to agricultural 
pursuits. Having purchased a portion of the old 
Taylor estate he continued to dwell thereon dur- 
ing the rest of his days. This farm is situated 
near High Bridge, in the township of the same 



name, but then called Clinton. He died, loved 
and honored by a wide circle of friends, in Octo- 
ber, 1881. His wife, formerly Eliza Gano, was 
born May 18, 1805, and died October 7, 1890. 
They were both buried in the Clinton Presbyte- 
rian Cemetery'. Their children were: Elizabeth, 
born October 24, 1826, wife of Robert Brown, of 
Elizabeth, N. J.; Charlotte H., born October 23, 

1 83 1, and now the wife of William Yawger, of 
Elizabeth, N. J.; John G., born December 4, 

1832, now a wholesale grocer of Winterset, Iowa; 
Mary A., born February 22, 1836, and now the 
wife of Charles Opedyke, of this county; George 
G. , born December 16, 1837; Rachel, who was 
born May 1, 1840, married Samuel Weller and 
died in April, 1880; Charles, born April 10, 1842, 
and died July 7, 1843; and Jacob F., of this 
sketch. 

Our subject's birth occurred February 11, 1846. 
He lived on farms until 1878, when he embarked 
in the world of business on East Broadway, New 
York City. At the end of a year he returned to 
High Bridge, in the neighborhood of his old home, 
and there opened a shoe store. This enterprise 
he conducted about a year, then selling out he 
bought the tract of ground on which his present 
store now stands. He carried on a hardware bus- 
iness here for several years, his location being 
near the depot. In the fall of 1886 he erected a 
new building and removed to his present place of 
business. From time to time he has made addi- 
tions to the original establishment until he has a 
veritable department store such as may be seen in 
the great cities. The building is 48x136 feet in 
dimensions, is modern and well lighted. Among 
the kinds of stock that the proprietor carries we 
mention the following: Hardware, dry goods and 
carpets, groceries, boots and shoes, queensware, 
silverware and jewelry, and an exceptionally well- 
selected line of furniture. 

His busy life has prevented Mr. Fox from tak- 
ing any particular concern in, political matters, 
though he is always prompt in voting for the Dem- 
ocratic candidates. For a quarter of a century he 
has held membership with the Reformed Church, 
and for two decades of this period he has served 



53Q 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the congregation as a deacon, elder, or in some 
other official capacity. Socially he belongs to 
Castle No. 41, Knights of the Golden Eagle, of 
Annandale, and is also a member of Rialto Lodge 
No. 161, I. O. O. F., of High Bridge. In the 
last-mentioned order he has filled all the chairs, 
and is past noble grand. To all worthy benevo- 
lences he is liberal, and many a person who has 
met with reverses and affliction has been quietly 
and unostentatiously helped and materially en- 
couraged by his judicious advice and timely aid. 



REV. ISAAC L. KIP has been for the past 
five years pastor of the Reformed Church of 
High Bridge, Hunterdon County, having a 
most flourishing congregation. Both pastor and 
people are happy and satisfied in witnessing the 
progress of the noble work which they have un- 
dertaken together, and in this community their 
light is indeed not hid under a bushel. In gen- 
eral, the citizens of this locality are peaceful, 
law-abiding, honest and industrious, and it is a 
pleasure to be called to labor among such a class. 
The grandfather of our subject was Isaac L. 
Kip, a native of New York City, and a well- 
known member of the legal profession in hisda3'. 
He was equally high in his standing in the Re- 
formed Church. His sou, Francis M., father of 
our subject, was born in the same metropolis, 
was a graduate of Columbia College, and devoted 
his life to the ministry. His first charge was in 
Bloomingdale, since absorbed by New York City, 
the church being situated on the Boulevard and 
Sixty-eighth street, and now one of the wealth- 
iest congregations in the city. Later Mr. Kip 
was actively occupied in the organization of the 
Reformed Church on Ninetieth street, and after 
laboring there five years he went to Fishkill, N. 
Y. , where he remained until 1S70. He then lo- 
cated on Staten Island, becoming associated with 
the Seaman's Retreat (now the United States 



Marine Hospital) in the capacity of chaplain, and 
this position he held up to the time of his death 
in 1888. To himself and wife, whose maiden 
name was Mary R. Bayard, six children were 
born, viz.: Harriet B., who died in infanc}'; 
Harriet Bayard (the second of the name) now a 
resident of Brooklyn; Isaac Livingstone; Mary 
R. , wife of J. Vanwick Vandervoort, connected 
with the Bank of America; Rev. Francis M., of 
Harlingen, N. J.; and Sarah, whose death oc- 
curred January 1, 1892. 

The birth of Isaac L. Kip occurred in New 
York, March 10, 1835. When he was an infant, 
his parents removed to Fishkill, and there he was 
reared to maturity. He was educated in the 
higher branches in the Fishkill Academy and in 
Rutgers College in New Brunswick, N. J. He 
then took up the study of law, under the direc- 
tion of Livingston K. Miller, of New York City, 
and later was with Judge Fullerton, of Newburg, 
N. Y., for two years. About this time he de- 
cided that it was his duty to give up his other 
plans and devote himself to the ministry, and he 
accordingly entered the New Brunswick Theo- 
logical Seminary, graduating therefrom in 1S61. 
He was called to the Reformed Church of East 
Williamsburg, N. Y. (now a portion of Brook- 
lyn), and was ordained in October, 1861. After 
a year had rolled away he resigned in order that 
he might become chaplain in the ar"my. He was 
with the One Hundred and Fifty-ninth New 
York Regiment during the years of 1S62 and 
1863. From 1864 to 1867 he was in charge of a 
congregation in Stuyvesant Falls, N. Y., the next 
eight years was located in Schodack Landing; 
following was pastor of a church at Peekskill 
four and a-half years; then was the occupant of 
the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church at Patti- 
son, N. Y., nine years; was near Albany, N. Y., 
three years, at a town called Watervliet, and 
from there proceeded to New Brunswick, and a 
a year later came to his present pastorate. He 
has been very zealous in the good work of up- 
lifting mankind, and has been a power for righte- 
ousness wherever he has labored. For ten or 
more years the contributions of his pen to lead- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



53i 



ing journals have been eagerly looked for, and he 
has devoted considerable time to authorship. Pie 
has always been a deep thinker, and is never 
happier than when in the midst of his books and 
studies. He is identified with the Republican 
part}' politically. 

October 6, 1881, the marriage of Mr. Kip and 
Mary D. Osborne, daughter of Alfred and Eliza- 
beth (Van Hagen) Ostrom, was solemnized. 
She was born at Stockport, N. Y. , and by her 
marriage has become the mother of two children, 
Cornelia N. and Mary Bayard. Her father was 
a native of Dutchess County, N. Y., and was a 
prominent and public-spirited citizen in this com- 
munity. 



^EORGE WYCKOFF CUMMINS, M. D., 
__ Ph. D. In every live and thriving com- 
,_J munity there must be some particularly en- 
terprising and energetic spirits who push ahead 
and lead the way to triumph. The progressive 
town of Belvidere has been more than ordinary 
fortunate in the class of men who have been oc- 
cupied in professional and commercial pursuits 
here, and among the comparatively recent addi- 
tions to her loyal citizens is the gentleman whose 
name heads this sketch. He is in the prime of 
early manhood and possesses genius, ambition 
and, withal, well-balanced ideas and high prin- 
ciples of conduct. In addition to the private 
practice of his profession, he has been jail sur- 
geon for four years, is secretary of the board of 
health, member of the board of education and is 
also examiner for a leading insurance company. 
He is president of the Warren County Medical 
Society, quite an unusual honor for a young 
physician. He is the author of a number of arti- 
cles on scientific and medical subjects. 

The family of which Dr. Cummins is a repre- 
sentative can be traced back to the middle ages 
of European history. Their surname probably 
came from that of the town in which they dwelt, 



as many of the surnames of that time and place 
originated from, or were suggested by, similar 
surroundings or localities. History relates that 
one Robert Comyns left his home in Comiues, 
France, to accompany William the Conqueror 
and seven hundred picked men who went into 
the northern provinces of England, for the pur- 
pose of subduing the inhabitants. In the middle 
of the thirteenth century four Scottish earls of the 
Comyns family were destroyed by Robert Bruce. 
The sole survivor of the line escaped to England, 
there establishing important connections. The 
first of the name to settle in America was Chris- 
teon Cummins, born March 16, 17 16. He sailed 
to Philadelphia in the good ship Molly, lauding 
on these hospitable shores in the autumn of 1741, 
and subsequently buying a farm at Asbury, War- 
ren County, N. J. 

Simon A. Cummins was born in Vienna, War- 
ren County, and for years was not only an enter- 
prising farmer, but also a manufacturer of agrir 
cultural implements. An ardent Democrat, he 
held numerous local and county offices, and for 
a long period he was an official member of the 
Christian Church. He died in 1891. His faith- 
ful wife, Mar}', daughter of Cornelius Carhart, of 
this county, is now in her sixty -fifth year. They 
were the parents of four children. The eldest, 
Jacob, resides in Oxford Township, this county; 
the second-born, R. A., resides in Vienna. 
Theodore, a resident of Dover, N. J., is now a 
non-commissioned officer in the Second Regiment 
of New Jersey Volunteers, in the Spanish war. 
The youngest of the sons, our subject, was born 
in Vienna, Warren County, March 2, 1865. In 
his youth he attended Hackettstown Institute, 
graduating from the same in 1881. He then en- 
tered Yale College, from which he graduated in 
1884, and for four years afterwards he was in- 
structor in mathematics and chemistry at his 
alma mater. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy 
was bestowed upon him by Yale in 1887. As 
his determination to enter the medical profession 
had now matured, he took up the necessary 
studies and was duly graduated from the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons of New York City, 



532 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



with the degree of M. D. in 1890. For the past 
eight years he has been established in practice 
in Belvidere, where he has gained an enviable 
reputation for skill and ability in his chosen field 
of labor. 

In the summer of 1897 Dr. Cummins organ- 
ized the West Jersey Telephone Company and 
built lines in this county, connecting with many 
important towns, thus starting an industry that 
has proved of the greatest importance to this part 
of the state. In political belief he is a Democrat. 
June 14, 1890, he married Annie Blair Titman, 
daughter of William Blair Titman, whose sketch 
and portrait appear in this volume. For a year 
or more the young couple traveled in Europe and 
visited most of the famous places of interest and 
historical association, thus greatly broadening 
their mental horizon and acquiring a cosmopoli- 
tan culture. 



-4-—J »>3+^ 



•>.«-C^ 1 — i 



"HEODORE B. FULPER, M. D., is recog- 
nized among his professional brethren as 
one of the rising young physicians of this 
section of New Jersey, and has been located in the 
pretty town of Glen Gardner for the past nine 
years. During this period he has met with 
gratifying success in his loved work, and has 
built up not only a remunerative practice, but a 
reputation for skill and general ability that is 
truly enviable. He is a student, takes the lead- 
ing medical journals and makes it his business to 
keep thoroughly abreast of all modern discoveries 
and improvements on the old S3'stems in vogue. 
The paternal grandfather of the doctor was 
Jacob Fulper, who, with his two brothers, founded 
the family in this county. The father of our 
subject, Lemuel L. Fulper, is a native of Bethle- 
hem Township, his birth having taken place on 
his father's homestead there. He was interested 
in teaching in the common schools of this county 
for a number of years in his early manhood, and 



later devoted his energies to the management of 
a mercantile establishment in Junction, in part- 
nership with M. D. Wells. After several years 
spent in this manner, he moved to Pattenburg, 
where he was similarly occupied for a few years 
more, his partner this time being Alfred Marti- 
nus. The last years of his life he is spending 
quietly in his pleasant home in Junction. He 
married Elizabeth Curling, and six of the children 
who came to bless their home are still living, 
viz.: H. S.; Theodore B., of this sketch; Elmer 
W. , now a student in the theological seminary at 
Gettysburg, with the view of entering the minis- 
try; Luella, wife of William Albright, a student 
in the Medico-Chirurgical College in Philadelphia; 
and Hattie and Blanche, who are with their par- 
ents. 

Dr. Fulper was born November 16, 1867, in 
Pattenburg, Hunterdon County, and was reared 
amid the loving influences of a good home. 
After completing his education in the common 
schools he determined to enter the profession to 
which he now belongs, and to that end took up 
the study of medicine. In the fall of 18S6 he was 
enrolled as a scholar in the Jefferson Medical 
College in the Quaker city and was graduated 
from that well-known institution in the class of 
'89. He at once located in Glen Gardner, and 
has worked his wa3' upward to a position 
of respect and influence by his own intrinsic 
merits. In his political attitude he is usually 
independent, but has often given his ballot to 
the Prohibition party candidates (hopeless mi- 
nority). He is past sachem of Shabbekong Tribe 
No. 46, Improved Order of Red Men, of Junction, 
and belongs to Mosconetcong Lodge No. 98, 
K. P., of Junction. A worthy member of the 
Patriotic Order Sons of America, he is connected 
with Glen Gardner Camp No. 40. In his church 
relations he is a great worker and is a valued 
member of the Lutheran denomination. For 
about eight years he has officiated as a deacon in 
the Glen Gardner church. 

October 12, 1892, Dr. Fulper married Carrie 
Pettenger, whose parents, Dr. A. S. and Emily 
(Case) Pettenger, were old citizens of this place. 




A. B. NASH, M. I). 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



535 



The father was actively engaged in practice here 
for about twelve years, his labors being cut short 
by death September 3, 1SS6. The only sister of 
Mrs. Fulper was Elizabeth Y., now deceased. 



Gl B. NASH, M. D., a leading physician of 
I I Frenchtown, N. J., was born in Bucks Coun- 
/ I ty, Pa., August 11, 1852. Dr. Nash is one 
of a type of American citizens of whom any com- 
munity may well be proud. He is the scion of 
one of those early German pioneer families who 
came from the Fatherland to find homes among 
the "blue hills and purple valleys" of Pennsyl- 
vania, and who with their descendants settled in 
the eastern counties of the Keystone state and 
established the communities and laid out so 
many of those model farms which are noted to this 
day for their beauty, the richness of their crops and 
the thrift of the husbandmen residing on their 
broad acres. 

Born on the farm a raw country lad, whose 
sole heritage was a good constitution, and an in- 
born desire to be a man among men, young Nash 
attended school in the district in which he was 
born in the winter, and in remaining months of 
the year worked on the farm, at the same time 
laying a good foundation in brawn and muscle for 
the trials of a physician's life. From a pupil he 
rose to the position of a successful teacher, which 
calling he followed for five years. He then 
placed himself under the direction of Dr. D. P. 
Moyer, of Bucks County, Pa., with whom he read 
medicine. He then matriculated at the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where, after 
taking the full course in the medical department, 
he graduated in 1876. Since then, through all 
the trials and vicissitudes that commonly fall to 
the lot of a young physician building up a prac- 
tice, he has, by his own unaided energy and de- 
termination, buoyed up by an ever-increasing in- 
terest in his chosen profession, pushed his way to 



the front as one of the most successful physicians 
in his vicinity, and stands to-day in the proud 
position of a self-made man, reaping the well- 
earned reward of twenty-two years' active service 
as a physician. 

After leaving the university in 1876 Dr. Nash 
located in Ottsville, Bucks County, Pa., where he 
practiced eleven years. In 1888, feeling a desire 
to connect himself with a larger community, and 
at the earnest solicitation of friends, he settled in 
Frenchtown, where he has since practiced. Open- 
ing an office in a field already long and well oc- 
cupied, he has in the succeeding years built up a 
large and lucrative practice in Frenchtown and 
the surrounding villages and country. 

Dr. Nash first married in 1878, but suffered the 
loss of his wife in 1888. She died leaving no 
children. In 1890 he married Mrs. Eliza (Haney) 
Duckworth, and they have one son, Roscoe J. 

Aside from the duties of his profession, Dr. 
Nash has never failed to make a large circle of 
social and political friends wherever he has set- 
tled. As a young man he was active in politics, 
ardently supporting the Republican party and 
its candidates, an allegiance which he has main- 
tained to the present time. In 1896 he was 
elected coroner of Hunterdon County. 

Fraternally Dr. Nash is connected with Orion 
Lodge No. 56, F. & A. M., of Frenchtown, N. 
J., in which he is a past master, and also a mem- 
ber of Wilson Chapter No. 13, R. A, M., and 
St. Elmo Commandery No. 14, K. T., of Lam- 
bertville, N. J. He is also a member of Home 
Lodge No. 95, K. of P., of Frenchtown. 



ROBBINS DUCKWORTH, one of the most 
influential merchants of Hunterdon County, 
was born in the vicinity of Clinton, July 3, 
1840, and is a son of Philip and Sarah (McCrea) 
Duckworth. His ancestors were among the early 
settlers of this section of the state, and for several 



23 



536 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



generations followed agricultural pursuits, our 
subject being the first to enter a mercantile career. 
His father, Philip Duckworth, is still well remem- 
bered in this vicinity as a man of upright, honor- 
able character, kind and generous in his treat- 
ment of his fellow-men and thoroughly lovable in 
his home associations. Both he and his wife were 
natives of this county .where their entire lives were 
spent. He was prominently identified with the 
agricultural interests of the community, and emi- 
nently successful in his farming enterprise. His 
death occurred some years after the demise of his 
esteemed wife. 

Our subject, Robbins, received his early edu- 
cation in the district schools of his native place, 
and later for a time was a student in Claverack 
Institute, at Claverack, N. Y. Subsequently he 
returned to Hunterdon County and for the five 
succeeding years was employed in teaching 
school. In 1862 he began his commercial career, 
entering the employ of William M. Shipman, of 
Clinton, a dealer in general merchandise. In 
1867 he, with J. K. Hoffman and Peter Case, 
formed the firm of Hoffman, Case & Duckworth, 
engaging in general merchandising. This venture 
proved successful, the firm soon becoming a lead- 
ing factor in the business circles of the count}'. 
Changes were made in the personnel of the firm 
from time to time, but Mr. Duckworth remained 
continuously in the business. 

In 1891 a disastrous fire destroyed nearly the 
whole business section of Clinton, and their bus- 
iness was swept away. Immediately following 
this loss, Mr. Duckworth began the erection of 
the premises now occupied by his firm, and on 
completion of the building he took into partner- 
ship Mansfield G. (his eldest son) and E. C. Moke 
(a son-in-law), the style of the firm being R. 
Duckworth & Co. Continued success has fol- 
lowed the new establishment, and they are recog- 
nized as the leading firm of Clinton. To the un- 
tiring efforts of Mr. Duckworth, who possesses 
commercial and executive ability of a high order, 
much of the success of the firm is due, and he is 
held in high esteem by fellow-merchants, as a man 
of strict integrity and conservative business 



methods. He is ever} 7 ready to assist in any enter- 
prise tending to improve the interest of the com- 
munity and is an energetic and progressive citizen. 
Politically he is a Republican, and although in 
no wise a politician, has been called upon to fill 
several positions in the gift of the people. It is 
needless to say, his administration of his duties 
while serving in such offices was admirable, and 
always marked with the same faithfulness which 
has brought success in his own private enterprise. 
He is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellow 
orders of Clinton. 

In 1865 he married Roxana, daughter of George 
Gulick, a prominent citizen of Clinton. To them 
have been born four children: Mary, wife of E. 
C. Moke; Mansfield G., Laura and Leroy. 



(JOHN W. DEHART is one of the most en- 
I terprising and aggressive business men, not 
(2/ only of his home place, Bloomsbury, but of 
Hunterdon County. He has lived here for the 
past twenty years and during this period has been 
foremost in the support of local industries, im- 
provements, and everything which he believed 
would make for the public benefit. He is inter- 
ested in agriculture, dealing in live stock, and has 
many other business concerns. He is the presi- 
dent of the Bloomsbury Canning Company, which, 
in 1897, canned two hundred thousand cans of 
peaches and sixty thousand cans of tomatoes. 
This is one of the young industries of the place 
and is rapidly gaining prominence. 

The paternal grandfather of the above, Isaac 
Dehart, was a native of this state and was a farmer 
by occupation. He married Dorothy Smith, by 
whom he had eleven children, of whom William 
was the eldest. The latter, father of our subject, 
was born March 4, 1815, on a farm lying between 
Bloomsbury and Asbury. He became largely in- 
terested in cattle dealing, buying and selling stock 
in all parts of this county. March 17, 1S50, he 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



537 



removed to New York City, where he embarked 
in the commission business, and during the six 
years of his residence there he transacted about the 
most extensive business of an}^ firm in his line. 
From 1856 until the war broke out he made his 
home in Valparaiso, Ind., then enlisting for three 
years in the Twentieth Indiana Regiment. He 
took part in a number of battles and engagements, 
and received an honorable discharge in Jefferson- 
ville, July 12, 1865. Upon his return home he 
engaged in gardening until his death, which oc- 
curred in 1890. He was a Democrat in his polit- 
ical views, and religiously was a Methodist. His 
wife was Elizabeth Osborne in her girlhood, her 
home being in West Portal, Hunterdon County. 
They have four children, all of whom are living. 
Isaac located in Nashville, Tenn. , after the war 
and is a manufacturer of sash, doors and blinds; 
Mary Elizabeth is the widow of Samuel Kees, of 
Nashville; Lydia Ann is the wife of W. H. H. 
Price, now of Atlanta, Ga. 

John W. Dehart was born in Asbury, Hunter- 
don County, August 21, 1842, and was afforded 
excellent educational privileges. He was for six 
3'ears a student in the schools of New York, and 
later pursued a business course of training in the 
Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College of New- 
ark, N. J. In 1858 he returned to his native 
place from Indiana, whither he had gone with the 
family, and found employment with his uncle 
Isaac, who was then running a hotel. At the end 
of a year and a-half our subject went into busi- 
ness on his own account as a buyer and seller of 
live stock. September 4, 1861, he enlisted in 
Company H, Eighth New Jersey Regiment, and 
was in active service until he was wounded at the 
battle of Chancellorsville, May 5, 1863. He had 
participated in the engagements of Williamsburg, 
Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg, Seven Days' Fight 
in the Wilderness, and many others. He started 
in as a corporal and won his way upward to the 
rank of sergeant-major by his own merit and gal- 
lant service. For over a year he languished in 
various hospitals, being transferred from one to 
another, from the one in Washington to that on 
Bedloe's Island, thence to one on Long Island, 



and finally was honorably discharged September 
4, 1864. Upon his recovery he returned to As- 
bury and continued his former occupation of deal- 
ing in cattle. 

In the spring of 1878 he came to Bloomsbury 
and has since given much attention to agriculture 
and kindred things. He owns a fine farm of 
three hundred acres and regularly employs five 
men to manage the place. Under his judicious 
policy the Bloomsbury Canning Company is flour- 
ishing, and on his farm are raised the tomatoes 
that are canned in the factory. He assisted in 
the organization of the Gleitz Piano Company, 
which has since gone out of existence, but he 
gave no attention to the business, as he was fully 
occupied with his other interests. He is vice- 
president of the Bloomsbury Cemetery Associa- 
tion. In politics he is a Democrat, and in re- 
ligion is a Methodist. He materially aids in 
meeting the expenses of the church and is liberal 
with his means on behalf of the needy. 

October 19, 1865, Mr. Dehart married Mary 
J., daughter of Charles Stewart, of Asbury. She 
was born in Little York, Hunterdon County, and 
is a most estimable lady. An almost insupport- 
able grief came to our subject and wife in 1871, 
when both of their children were stricken and 
died with that dread disease, scarlet fever. They 
were bright and promising little ones: Eva, aged 
four years and eight months; and Charles, aged 
two years and eight months. 



ON. GEORGE F. MARTENS, Jr., who was 
elected to the New Jersey legislature in the 
fall of 1896 and is now serving his second 
term in that honorable body, is a young man of 
most promising future, both in the financial and 
political world. He possesses that energy and 
straightforwardness of purpose that is rarely de- 
feated, and when circumstances are too strong for 
him, he has a fortitude of spirit and strength of 



538 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



character that rise triumphantly above discour- 
agement. He is the youngest member of the 
house ever elected from Hunterdon County, and 
though his party (Democratic) was in a hopeless 
minority, there being only four representatives of 
it in the assembly during the winter of 1896, he 
was given positions on several important com- 
mittees and acquitted himself with distinction. 
The most important of the committees on which 
he acted was that on corporations, and the 
following session he was again appointed on 
the same, also on the committees of the state 
board of health, the Industrial School for Girls 
and the state hospital. He was but eighteen 
years old when his enthusiasm for his party 
affairs led him to take an active part in its 
welfare, and he has attended almost all of the con- 
ventions, whether local or general, since. He 
was elected and served with credit to himself and 
constituents as clerk of his home township during 
a period of three years. 

A native of Brooklyn, born February 21, 1867, 
George F. Martens, Jr., is a grandson of Chris- 
topher Martens, a wealthy German, who, for 
years was engaged in the wholesale grocery bus- 
iness in New York City, at the corner of Duane 
and Elm streets. This valuable corner property 
is still in the possession of the family. Of the 
four children of the said Christopher, the eldest is 
George F. Martens, father of our subject. He 
was reared in New York City, received an excel- 
lent education, and graduated from the New York 
Law School in 1861. He has achieved an enviable 
reputation in his profession and confines his at- 
tention to that branch of the subject comprised 
under real-estate law. By the leading members 
of the bar he is esteemed to be one of their bright- 
est lights in his chosen field. In 1866 he was 
united in marriage with Maggie R., daughter of 
Samuel Clark, one of the old and most highly re- 
spected citizens of New Germautown. They had 
three children, George F., Jr., Bertha C. and 
Raymond V. The last-mentioned is deceased. 
Mr. Martens has always given his allegiance to 
the Democratic party, but has neither sought nor 
desired office. 



The first six years in the life of George F. 
Martens, Jr., were passed in his native city. 
Death deprived him then of a tender and affect- 
ionate mother, and the home was broken up. 
The lad came to New Germantown to live with 
his grandfather Clark, and here and in Somerville 
his education was gained in the public schools. 
When he was eighteen years of age he went to 
New York City and began the study of law in his 
father's office. He pursued this business for about 
five years, in the meanwhile being also occupied 
in searching records. At twenty-four he started 
into the wholesale commission business, and 
though at first he had not a single shipper pledged 
to him, he transacted a trade amounting to $400,- 
000 that first year. His success has been truly 
remarkable and gives evidence of his practical 
ability and systematic methods. He continues to 
make his home in New Germantown, where he 
has hosts of devoted friends, but from Monday 
morning until Saturday his business keeps him in 
the metropolis. Socially he is a member of 
Vesper Lodge No. 267, I. O. O. F., of Lebanon, 
N. J. While not identified with any denomina- 
tion, he is liberal in his support of both of the 
churches in New Germantown, and he is ever 
ready to lend a kind and helping hand to the poor 
and afflicted. 



+> w Qv\« 



P^ETER S. SHURTS, a prosperous merchant 
LS of Junction, Hunterdon County, is one of 
\S the most aggressive business men of this 
section of the county. He owns and occupies a 
modern and well-appointed store building, heated 
by steam and first-class in every respect. Here 
may be found a well-selected stock of general dry 
goods and notions, and in the neatly kept outer 
buildings connected with the store is a line of 
farm supplies, flour, feed, grain, etc. Though 
he has met with severe reverses at times, Mr. 
Shurts has persevered and has eventually won the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



539 



victory over circumstances. He is entitled to 
success, for he has made a brave fight in the bat- 
tle of life and has depended solely upon himself. 

The parents of the above were George F. and 
Mary A. (Snyder) Shurts, both natives of this 
county. In later life he was an employe of the 
Central Railroad of New Jersey, his home being 
in North Junction. Formany years he was town- 
ship constable here and occupied other local of- 
fices. He was an official member of the Baptist 
Church of Junction, being a deacon of the same 
for years prior to his death. He was also 
a member of the Masonic fraternity. His death 
took place in July, 1896, when he was in his 
seventy-eighth year. His father was Jacob 
Shurts, of German descent. -and a native of this 
county. The family of George F. and Mary A. 
Shurts comprised four children, viz.: Jacob, an 
engineer on the Central Railroad of New Jersey; 
Peter S. ; Mary E. , who first married John M. 
Hummer, and is now the wife of George W. 
Oliver, of this town, an engineer on the Central 
Railroad; and Sarah A., who is unmarried. 

Peter S. Shurts was born near this place Feb- 
ruary 9, 1850, and remained at home until he 
was fifteen. He then entered the employ of M. 
D. Wells, in a general store which he conducted 
in this town. A year later the youth became an 
employe of the Central Railroad in the car shops 
here, serving an apprenticeship of four years to 
the machinist's trade, and then continuing four 
years longer with the company. From that time 
until the plant was removed from Phillipsburg 
he was with the Phillipsburg Bridge Works, later 
entering the machine shops of the Delaware, 
Lackawanna & Western in Junction. When 
they were closed in 1870 he entered into partner- 
ship with P. S. Srope, and opened a general mer- 
chandise store in this town. 

At the end of six months Mr. Shurts bought 
his partner's interest, and has since conducted 
the business alone. In 1892 he erected a store 
building on the site of his present one, and it was 
destroyed by fire February 21, 1896, with the en- 
tire stock. The loss was $3,000, a severe one to a 
young man who had just managed to get a 



promising start on the high road to success, but 
he rallied his forces, and with redoubled energy 
took up the burden again. The next autumn 
he rebuilt his store, where the other had stood, 
and has gone on with increasing patronage and 
assurance of ultimate success. He is the owner 
of one of the best farms in this portion of the 
county, it being known as Drake homestead. It 
is situated in Bethlehem Township, consists of 
one hundred and sixty-seven acres, and has two 
sets of farm buildings upon the place. This 
property he rents to responsible tenants. 

Politically Mr. Shurts is a Democrat. Presi- 
dent Cleveland appointed him postmaster of Junc- 
tion during his first term and he officiated in 
that capacity for five years, later holding the 
same position four years under the second term of 
Cleveland. In March, 1895, he was elected a 
member of the town council, and has since acted 
as such. At various times he has represented his 
home district in the conventions of his party, and 
is an acknowledged leader in its councils. Fra- 
ternally he is a Mason, having been identified 
with the order for twenty-six years. He has 
passed all the chairs in Lebanon Lodge No. 6, of 
Glen Gardner. He holds membership with the 
Presbyterian Church and has been secretary and 
treasurer of the board of trustees for a period of 
five years. 

December 9, 1876, Mr. Shurts married Anna, 
daughter of E. G. and Elizabeth (Cramer) Rid- 
dle, of Junction. They have two sons and a 
daughter, Bertha, George J. and James R. The 
latter is a graduate of Stewart's Business College 
of Trenton, and is now the bookkeeper of the 
Trenton Gas Company. 



ANSING B. BAKER was a prominent mer- 
|iL chant of Clinton, Hunterdon County, until 
|_^ within the past few years, when he retired 
from the commercial world to a large extent. He 
is entitled to a place among the men who have 



54° 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



been influential in the prosperity and progress of 
this portion of the state of New Jersey. Though 
not one of her native sons, the greater part of his 
life has been spent in this immediate locality, and 
since arriving at mature years he has been deeply 
interested in the development of the natural re- 
sources of the county, and the establishment of 
still better systems, industries and institutions to 
promote the welfare of its people. 

The birth of L,- B. Baker took place in the 
Quaker city April 5, 1842, he being a son of Rev. 
J. J. Baker, whose history may be found in con- 
junction with that of Judge W. H. Baker, else- 
where in this volume. Until he was about eleven 
years of age the subject of this sketch was a 
pupil in the excellent public schools of his native 
city, after which he removed with his parents 
to this county. When he started out in his busi- 
ness career he found employment with a New 
York firm as a collector. In 1861 he settled per- 
manently in Clinton, and has lived here unin- 
terruptedly since. At first, for two years or more, 
he worked as a clerk for William M. Shipman in 
a general store; then during the next six years 
he was employed by Judge James P. Hoffman in 
the same line of enterprise. Subsequently he was 
taken into partnership with that gentleman and 
together they carried on the business in harmony 
and with success for ten years. His next ven- 
ture was in a different direction, for he became 
the proprietor of a drug store, which he con- 
ducted until 1880, also managing a harness shop 
at the same time. For the past eighteen years he 
has given much attention to the raising of fruit 
and stock on a valuable farm which he owns in 
this township. He is a stanch Republican, and 
has served as president of the Clinton Republican 
Club. Fraternally he is identified with the Odd 
Fellows. 

October 27, 1875, Mr. Baker married Eliza K. 
Probasco, daughter of John W. and Harriet Pro- 
basco, all of this county. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Baker was born a daughter, Harriet P., who is 
her father's housekeeper, friend and companion 
since the death of the beloved wife and mother, 
August 2, 1890. Mr. Baker is a pillar in the 



Presbyterian Church, having served as a member 
of its board of trustees for the past fifteen years. 
He is respected by all who have come within his 
acquaintanceship, and he possesses the good will 
and confidence of those who know him thor- 
oughly. 



7J APT. JOHN SHIELDS, an honored veteran 
C of the Civil war, in which his service was 
^J most gallant and distinguished, has a beauti- 
ful home in Flemington, Hunterdon County. 
Here he has dwelt for a quarter of a century, 
taking an active part in everything tending to im- 
prove and build up this locality, owning stock in 
the Hunterdon County National Bank and other 
enterprises of the town, and manifesting in numer- 
ous ways his desire to promote the prosperity of 
our inhabitants. 

The captain deserves the commendation of all 
for the sturdy, manly fight he has made with ad- 
verse circumstances. He is justly entitled to 
being termed self-made, as any one may see who 
peruses his interesting history. He was born in 
County Donegal, Ireland, May 8, 1839, and came 
to America in 1848 with his mother and sister, 
his father having preceded them about a year. 
The head of the famil3' died in 1851, and as his 
family were left without means, our subject was 
obliged to start out to earn his own livelihood, 
and thus had small chance for obtaining an edu- 
cation. He commenced to learn the machinist's 
trade and was employed at that calling at the out- 
break of the war. 

In September, 1861, John Shields enlisted in 
Company E, Fifty-third Regiment of Pennsyl- 
vania Infantry, being made first lieutenant of the 
same. He was sent from Harrisburg to Wash- 
ington, and soon transferred to Camp California, 
near Alexandria, Va. The following May he 
participated in the siege of Yorktowu, and in the 
battle of Fair Oaks was in French's Brigade, First 
Division, Second Army Corps. His captain was 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



541 



wounded there, and during the retreat or seven 
clays' fight he was in command of his company, 
who were employed in tearing down and destroy- 
ing bridges along the way. From Malvern Hill 
he went to Harrison's Landing, where his forces 
were stationed during the most of July, 1862. 
On the 1st of August they started for Alexandria 
again, to take part in the second battle of Bull 
Run, and were in the advance on Antietam. 
After the encounter with the enemy there, Sep- 
tember 17, 1862, he went to Harper's Ferry. 

At the battle of Antietam, General Richardson 
was mortally wounded, General Hancock was as- 
signed to the command of the division in the 
battle of Fredericksburg, and every officer in his 
company was killed or wounded. Our subject 
was also injured, and carried a bullet in his thigh 
for a long time. When General Zook was made 
provost-marshal, before the battle of Fredericks- 
burg, he being senior first lieutenant was put in 
command of five companies of his regiment; a 
sixty days' leave of absence was given him on ac- 
count of his wound. He joined his regiment in 
February, 1863, and soon was engaged in the 
battle of Chancellorsville, where he had charge of 
the brigade skirmish line. His valiant service 
here won official commendation. June 1, 1863, 
he started for Gettysburg. He received his com- 
mission as captain of his company while at home 
on a furlough. During the second day's fight at 
Gettysburg he received what was thought would 
certainly prove a mortal wound. He was shot in 
the throat, and, being taken to Stewart's Hos- 
pital in Baltimore, the surgeons gave their verdict 
that he could not possibly live. But the captain 
possessed real Irish grit, and begged that an ope- 
ration be performed, though the surgeons in- 
formed him that there was scarcely one chance in 
a thousand that he would recover from it. A pe- 
culiar double tube was inserted in his throat, and, 
to make a long story short, he at length gained 
the victory, owing to his pluck and fine constitu- 
tion. The medical records cite his case as one of 
the most wonderful in medical science. Return- 
ing home he recovered his strength, and in Octo- 
ber of the same year he was determined to rejoin 



his command, but his physician refused to grant 
him permission. However, in the next February 
he reported for duty, but caught a severe cold in 
his throat, as yet, unhealed, and March 17, 1864, 
yielded to fate, and resigned his commission. 
Returning home, he was appointed provost-mar- 
shal of Carbon County, Pa., serving as such un- 
til May, 1865. 

Captain Shields engaged in railroad business 
after the war, and though he had no means at 
first, soon became an important factor in the con- 
struction of sections of railway lines. He has 
taken and carried out contracts from the Lehigh 
Valley, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, 
the West Shore, the Baltimore & Ohio, the Illi- 
nois Central and other leading corporations of 
this part of the United States. He has great 
business ability, foresight and excellent judgment 
on financial matters, and by his talents, inherited 
and acquired, has won a fortune and a high place 
in the esteem of all who know him. Of late years 
he has made fortunate investments in real estate, 
and owns several farms, besides a beautiful home- 
stead of one hundred acres adjoining this town. 
His fine residence on this model farm is one of 
the most substantial and handsome homes in cen- 
tral or western New Jersey. 

In politics the captain is strongly in favor of 
the principles of the Republican party. He is 
also a great friend to the public-school system, as 
he is a man of liberal ideas, worthy of the pro- 
gressive age in which we dwell. The fact, how- 
ever, that he is by religion a Catholic, presup- 
posed in the minds of many of our citizens that 
he must therefore be opposed to our free and uu- 
sectarian schools, and those who did not know 
the man voted against him in 1894, when he was 
a candidate on his party ticket for the position 
of state senator, the charges being brought 
against him at the last moment, when he had 
no opportunity to answer them. In his own 
vicinity, nevertheless, he ran ahead of his ticket, 
for all persons here are aware of his patri- 
otic standing on the subject. He is a prom- 
inent figure in Grand Army circles, and was a 
charter member of the post at Mauch Chunk, Pa., 



542 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



where he lived in 1869, and was its commander. 
He has also been in a like position in the Flem- 
ington Post, and was department commander for 
New Jersey, resigning that office February 9, 
1895. 

During the war, while home on a furlough, 
Captain Shields married Anna M. Curran and 
they became the parents of four children, Annie 
C, John F., Robert F. and Henry G. Their 
sons attended St. John's College, Fordham, N. Y., 
and their daughter was educated at Chestnut 
Hill, Philadelphia. The eldest son, John F., is 
married and is in business with his father. 



(DQlLLIAM H. REGER is the proprietor of 
\ A / the White House Mills, located at Rock- 
V V away Creek, Readington, Hunterdon 
County, and is one of the most energetic and suc- 
cessful business men of the township. He is a 
practical miller, thoroughl}' understanding every 
detail of the vocation and bringing to bear upon 
the management of his affairs rare good judg- 
ment and ability. 

In tracing the history of our subject it is found 
that his grandfather, John Reger, was the founder 
of the family in Hunterdon County. The par- 
ents of William H. were William J. and Mary 
(Emmons) Reger, .both of whom were natives of 
this county. The birth of our subject occurred 
in Readington Township, September 6, 1855, 
and here he passed his boyhood and youth, at- 
tending the district schools and lending his aid to 
his father in the management of the old farm. 
He continued to be engaged in agricultural pur- 
suits until 1888, when he purchased the mill 
property of which mention was made at the be- 
ginning of this sketch. 

In the past ten years Mr. Reger has greath 7 
improved the mill, putting in a fine new roller- 
process and in other material ways altering the 
building and adding to the machinery and general 



usefulness of the plant. The mill is a frame 
structure, three stories and basement in height, 
and 60x40 feet in dimensions. The mill is run b}* 
water-power and a turbine wheel, and has a ca- 
pacity of twenty-five barrels of flour every twenty- 
four hours. Two or three men are necessary to 
operate the mill when it is in full running order, 
and the product of the plant finds ready sale in 
this and adjacent towns, the surplus being 
shipped to other points. The high-grade flour 
going under the brand of "Pure Gold" is espe- 
cially favored by the local trade, and a cheaper 
grade is also manufactured here. 

Mr. Reger married Sarah M. Dilts in 1879, and 
three children have been born to them: Luella 
William and Theodosia. Mrs. Reger is the 
daughter of Jacob and Jane Ann (Voorhees) 
Dilts, of this county, now deceased. In politics 
our subject is a Democrat. Fraternall}' he is a 
member of White House Lodge No. 207, I. O. 
O. F. With his good wife he holds membership 
in the Reformed Church. In this community, 
where he has dwelt so long, he has a reputation 
for straight dealing, integrity and correct busi- 
ness methods of which he ma}' be justly proud. 



"DMUND H. CARHART, who was the 
>) mayor of Belvidere, Warren County, in 
_ 1S96, is one of the native sons of this place, 
one whom his fellow-citizens delight to honor. 
Though his active business life, the prime of his 
manhood, was spent in the great metropolis, New 
York, he returned to the friends and scenes of his 
youth when he had decided to retire from the 
field of commercial activity. His career in the 
world of finance was one fraught with success, 
and is of interest to the general public as well as 
to his numerous friends, as showing what may be 
accomplished by a man of well-directed energies, 
perseverance and correct principles. 

The Carharts in New Jersey are descendants of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



543 



a noble English family, noted for many superior 
qualities of mind and character. Sir Thomas 
Carhart, a son of Anthony Carhart, gentleman, 
of County Cornwall, England, came to America 
in August, 1683, as private secretary to Col. 
Thomas Dongan English, governor to the colonies 
in America at that date, and his posterity have 
been residents of this state ever since. Mr. Car- 
hart of this article has in his possession a book 
giving the genealogy, family coat-of-arms, crest, 
etc. 

Theodore "Carhart, father of our subject, was 
born in this county and for many years was en- 
gaged in merchandising in Belvidere. He was 
the proprietor of a large and successfully con- 
ducted store, and was actively interested in all 
local enterprises and promoted home industries. 
One of the original members of the Methodist 
Church of this place, he has been one of the 
pillars and has been a leader in all of its man}' 
departments of usefulness, contributing very 
liberally toward its work. The entire confidence 
and respect of his associates and acquaintances are 
his, and his standing in the community as a man 
of high honor, reliability and sterling worth is 
one that may well be envied by all. His popu- 
larity has often been manifested in the desire of 
his townsmen that he should accept official posi- 
tions. He was for several years town treasurer 
and was twice elected to the office of mayor. 

Edmund H. Carhart was born in Belvidere, 
January 7, 1853, and was reared in this place, at- 
tending our public schools. At eighteen he left 
his studies to take a position in the store of a 
relative and there he learned the fundamental 
principles of business. February 6, 1872, he 
went to New York City, where he had been 
offered employment in the counting-room of his 
second cousin, Thomas F. Carhart, senior mem- 
ber of the firm of Carhart, Whitford & Co. From 
the place of assistant bookkeeper the young man 
was gradually promoted, until, at the age of 
twenty-seven, he was admitted to the firm. By 
the death of his cousin, December 6, 1882, he was 
made one of the executors of his will and guardian 
of his family. The firm was reorganized, his own 



name being placed at the head of the business. 
For years this firm have been numbered among 
the leading manufacturers and wholesalers of 
clothing in the United States, as their trade has 
been remarkable, and they have branch stores in 
the chief cities of this country. On account of 
overwork and anxiety the health of Mr. Carhart 
became impaired, and in 1886 he retired and re- 
turned to Belvidere, where he has a beautiful 
home. The firm with which he was connected 
for so many years had a "benevolent account," 
a certain amount of their profits being set aside 
each year for charity. Mr. Carhart was a mem- 
ber of the Merchants' Club, of New York City, 
and was about to become a member of the ex- 
clusive Union League Club, of that city, when he 
retired. In politics he is a Republican. 

October 22, 1879, Mr. Carhart and Miss Mary 
K., daughter of Henry Redfield, of Plainfield, 
N. J., were united in marriage. She died in 
August, 1880. The lady who now bears his 
name was formerly Miss Diauna Sherlock Bel- 
ford, she being a daughter of James Belford, of 
Belvidere, formerly of Mauch Chunk, Pa. They 
were married August 21, 1889, and are the par- 
ents of two bright children, Edmund H., Jr., and 
Mildred B. 



-} — «' ; >»}-0v •;(<■♦ — «— 



WESLEY S. HAWK, one of the most pro- 
gressive farmers of Hunterdon County, has 
resided upon his present homestead since 
the spring of 1888. He makes a specialty of rais- 
ing grain and also of the dairy business, in which 
he has been quite successful. For the past few 
years he has also raised peaches, but his attention 
is given principally to dairying and raising grain. 
He owns two tarms, one in Delaware Township 
and one in Kingwood Township, his home place 
being situated near the village of Baptistown. 



544 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
Philip Hawk, a resident of Alexandria, this 
county. His son, father of Wesley S., bore the 
Christian name of Godfrey. He resided in Alex- 
andria Township until 1840, when he came to 
this locality, and here spent the remainder of his 
life. He was quite successful as a farmer and 
owned a well-improved farm. He was active in 
political affairs, being first a Whig and later a 
Republican. Religious by nature, he took the 
deepest interest in the work of his own church, 
the Christian, and was identified with the con- 
gregations at Milford and later at Freuchtown. 
His death occurred at the ripe age of threescore 
and fifteen years. His wife, Charity, was a daugh- 
ter of James Siders. Of their fourteen children, 
six are deceased. The other are: Forman, 
Daniel, Jacob, Mary Jane, Margaret, Wesley S., 
Augustus and James W. Mary Jane is the wife 
of Samuel Carroll; Margaret is the wife of Elijah 
Potts. The mother of these children was a faith- 
ful and consistent member of the Christian 
Church, and died at the advanced age of eighty- 
six years. 

Wesley S. Hawk was boru in Alexandria Town- 
ship, this county, in 1837. In 1840 he was 
brought by his parents to this township, and here 
he was reared to manhood. He remained at home 
until he was twenty-eight years old, when he 
went to Locktown and engaged in farming in 
that vicinity for twenty-two years. In 1886 
he bought the farm of ex-Sheriff Bellis, and 
two years later located upon the place, where 
he has since dwelt. He is a member of the 
Grange, and keeps posted on modern methods 
of agriculture by reading the best journals on 
the subject. He does his duty as a citizen in 
lending his support to those measures which 
he deems beneficial to the majority, and gives his 
allegiance to the Republican party. 

In 1865 Mr. Hawk married Mary E. , daughter 
of Wesley Bellis, and their union has been blessed 
with two children, Rachel, who is now the wife 
of Abel Robinson, and Martin B., who is clerk in 
a store in Baptistown. The family are members 
of the Eocktown Christian Church. 



HOMAS EDGAR HUNT, M. D., a retired 
physician of Glen Gardner, Hunterdon 
County, was for about thirty years actively 
engaged in practice in this locality and established 
an excellent reputation for skill in his chosen field 
of effort. He comes from one of the sterling old 
pioneer families of this state, and several of his 
ancestors were numbered among the most learned 
men of their day. 

The doctor was born November 1, 1826, on his 
father's farm about a mile distant from this town. 
He grew to manhood under the parental roof and 
received his preliminary education in the district 
schools. He was but twenty when he was given 
the honorary degree of master of arts by Prince- 
ton College, and in 1847 he graduated from the 
medical department of the University of New 
York. During his study of medical science he 
had practical training from his father and took a 
part of the elder man's duties upon himself. Then 
his career opened out before him and he went 
bravely forward and accomplished much in the 
ensuing years in the noble endeavor of alleviating 
the ills to which flesh is heir. In the course of 
his practice he had occasion to note the dreadful 
effects of the liquor habit upon the human system, 
and he became an enthusiastic advocate of tem- 
perance. Though in early life, and indeed up to 
1872, he lent his political support to the Repub- 
lican party, he then transferred his allegiance and 
has since voted for the principles of the Prohibi- 
tion party. He has been very active in his es- 
pousal of the cause, as he is a very earnest be- 
liever in the great need of laws and public legis- 
lation restricting the manufacture and sale of 
liquor. For eight years he was a member of 
the National Prohibition Committee. During the 
most of his life he has been a valued member of 
the Presbyterian Church; was for years an elder 
in the congregation, and has given liberally of 
his time, means and influence to religious enter- 
prises. He is a practical Christian, putting into 
daily practice the principles that he professes. 

July 7, 1849, the doctor married Cynthia, daugh- 
ter of Judge John Martin, of Columbia County, 
N. Y. Of the children that came to bless their 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



545 



union, Willis Martin, the first-born, was a grad- 
uate of Lafayette College, and was a noble 
Christian gentleman; he married KateTerriberry, 
a daughter of Nathan Terriberry, of Hunterdon 
County, at the age of thirty-seven. He traveled 
considerably in the south and finally settled at 
Roanoke, Va., dying there at the age of thirty- 
eight; his wife is living with their two children, 
Bessie and Alfred T., at Plainfield, N. J. Meta 
is the wife of Rev. W. J. Henderson, a graduate 
of Princeton and a minister in the Presbyterian 
Church, now living in Glen Gardner; they have 
one son, Edgar Clark, engaged in the mercantile 
business in this place; Mary died in infancy; 
Dr. Edgar is referred to at the close of this sketch 
at some length; Minnie is the wife of Abraham L. 
Beavis, a train dispatcher in High Bridge, with 
residence at Glen Gardner; Milton is agent for 
the Central Railroad of New Jersey, in Glen Gard- 
ner; Vincent and Hollowed W. died in childhood; 
Harold A. married Minnie, daughter of William 
W. Sweazy. This young man is connected with 
the steel works of High Bridge as a draughtsman, 
he having previously studied in the model school 
of Trenton and Rutgers College, coming out with 
honors and a scholarship from the first-named in- 
stitution. He resides in Glen Gardner and has 
one child, Thomas Edgar, born March 3, 1S98. 
The parents of our subject were William Alex- 
ander and Eliza Ann (Auten) Hunt, natives of 
Sussex and Somerset Counties, N. J., respective- 
ly. The father was a prominent physician in this 
locality for years, being a graduate of Rutgers 
College and of a medical college. In his religious 
belief he was a Presbyterian, and he was always 
relied upon to do his full share towards the pro- 
motion of all worthy enterprises. He had but 
two children. A daughter, Susan Adeline, born 
in 1822, married John McNaiu, D. D., of Bucks 
County, Pa., and died March 1, 1885; William A. 
A. Hunt was born June 6, 1796; was married in 
1818 and died September 9, 1878. His wife de- 
parted this life November 23, 1873, and they lie 
side by side in the cemetery near this town. The 
father of William A. A. Hunt was Holloway 
Whitfield Hunt, wdio for over forty years was 



pastor in the Presbyterian Church. He was born 
in Westchester County, N. Y., April 9, 1769, and 
in 1794 graduated from Princeton College. Af- 
ter a short residence in Sparta, Sussex County, 
he removed to this county. Here he assumed 
the pastorate of three charges, one in Kingwood, 
another in Alexandria and the third in Bethle- 
hem, and for twoscore years he ministered to the 
needs of these congregations. In addition to this 
he kept a classical school in his own home, and 
here all of his sous were grounded in knowledge 
under his worthy superintendence. He died at 
his home in what is now known as Jutland, in 
1857, and his remains were buried in the old cem- 
etery at Bethlehem. June 24, 1795, he had mar- 
ried Susan Willis, and their family comprised but 
two children, William A. A. and Holloway W., 
the latter boru January 8, 1799. The parents of 
the Rev. Holloway W. Hunt, Sr., were Augus- 
tine and Lydia (Holloway) Hunt, natives of Or- 
ange County, N. Y. , and Massachusetts, respect- 
ively. The mother was born January 4, 1725, 
and was of Welsh descent. 

Edgar Hunt, M. D., is a native of Glen Gard- 
ner, born here December 15, 1857. With his 
scholarly grandfather he studied Latin, prepara- 
tory to taking up medical studies, for from the 
time that he was twelve years old he had deter- 
mined to enter the profession of which his father 
was a shining light. When he was seventeen he 
commenced his work in that line, being directed 
by his father in his studies, and in 1876 he en- 
tered Bellevue Hospital Medical College. After 
taking the full course he graduated March 1, 1878. 
His father had retired from practice several years 
previously, and the young man gained little ad- 
vantage from the fact that his father had had a large 
clientage hereabouts, as it was scattered by that 
time. Nothing daunted by this he started in to 
build up a reputation on his own merits, and is 
now kept so busy that he has scarcely time for 
sufficient sleep and little for rest or recreation. 
In order to keep fully abreast of the times he took 
a course in 1S85 at the post-graduate medical 
school and hospital in New York. He is partic- 
ularly successful in and makes a specialty of sur- 



546 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



gery and obstetrics. He has had over two thou- 
sand cases of the latter, and of this large number 
but one resulted fatally, and that on account of 
other complications of disease. Thus it may be 
seen that he has succeeded to a most gratifying 
degree and is well worthy of being numbered, not 
only among the leading practitioners of this coun- 
ty, but of the state. Since attaining his majority 
he has voted the Prohibition ticket, and though 
a stanch advocate of its principles he has never 
sought or desired official distinction. 



ass 



V MIOSES D. KNIGHT, M. D., has been inim- 
y bered for over thirty-five years among the 
(5 able and successful physicians of Hunter- 
don County, but in 1895 came to Clinton, where 
he succeeded his younger brother in practice. 
He has wide experience, has always been an 
earnest student and has kept in touch with the 
spirit of progress along all of the lines of new 
discoveries and modern methods in medical and 
scientific fields. His friends are legion in all 
parts of this county, and wherever he goes the 
best wishes of the public have been his in a 
gratifying degree. His life has been devoted to 
the amelioration of suffering, and his strong, 
sympathetic, manly heart has ever been open to 
the troubles and ills of his fellows and ready to 
give generously of its store of kindness, helpful- 
ness and cheer. 

The doctor's father, Joseph Knight, was born 
near the city of Philadelphia, and was a direct 
descendant of the Knights who accompanied 
William Penn on his settlement in the United 
States, all of the little colony being of English 
birth. In his boyhood Joseph Knight had few 
advantages in the way of acquiring an education, 
but was a quick and studious lad, and by his 
individual efforts became well informed. He 
gave his attention to agriculture, and made a 
success of his financial enterprises. Throughout 



the region in which his whole life was passed, 
his name was a synonym for uprightness, candor 
and integrity, and no one was more universally 
esteemed than he. He took no part in public 
matters, his pathway by preference lying along 
the quiet, unostentatious, humble channels of 
usefulness. He married Rachel Davis and eight 
children came to bless their happy home, all but 
one of the number living to mature years. 
Charles, the eldest, has since been summoned to 
the silent land, as has also Watson, the fourth of 
the family. Abner is a farmer of Montgomery 
County, Pa. John, of Philadelphia, is connected 
with the Press of that city. William, a physician, 
resides in Clinton. Nelson is a business man of 
Philadelphia; and Silas is a citizen of Montgomery 
County, Pa- 

The birth of Dr. Knight occurred February 3, 
1839, near the present town of Landsdale, Mont- 
gomery County, Pa. He lived upon his father's 
homestead until he was about nineteen years of 
age, in the meantime receiving an excellent edu- 
cation for that day. After leaving the public 
schools he became a student in the Attleboro 
Academy, of Attleboro, Pa. He was scarcely 
twenty when he commenced the study of medi- 
cine under the instruction of Dr. A. D. Markley, 
of Montgomeryville, in his native county. He 
pursued the course of reading that was laid out 
by the senior for about three years and completed 
the same by a term of lectures in the University 
of Pennsylvania. He was awarded his degree in 
Philadelphia March 14, 1861, and commenced 
practice in Little York, Hunterdon County. In 
that town he remained for thirty-four years, his 
clientage being so large as to keep him very busy 
and his time full}' occupied. For several reasons 
he at length found it desirable to make a change, 
and has settled permanently in Clinton, having 
made his home here since 1895. He has always 
been a true friend to education and has acted in 
the capacity of school trustee. Though never an 
office seeker, his friends have sometimes called 
upon him to accept minor positions and he served 
for six years as coroner. His ballot is given to 
the nominees of the Democratic part}'. He is a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



547 



Royal Arch Mason, belonging to Stewart Dodge 
No. 34, F. & A. M., of Clinton, and to Clinton 
Chapter No. 37. 

The marriage of the doctor and Miss Mary 
Marlatt was solemnized November 3, 1869. She 
was one of three children born to Paul and Ma- 
hala (Riddle) Marlatt, of Warren County, Pa. 
Her father was an influential member of the 
Presbyterian Church and was beloved and re- 
spected by all who knew him. Mrs. Knight was 
deprived of her loving mother's care when she 
was but seven years of age and one of her brothers 
died in childhood. The other, John R., is a far- 
mer of Warren Count}'. The doctor and wife 
have two sons, of whom they may justly be proud. 
Charles Paul is a graduate of the State Model 
School of Trenton, and is now taking a medical 
course in the University of Pennsylvania. Arthur 
Markley, named for the old preceptor of his 
father, is a student in the Moody School of 
Mount Hermou, Mass. Mrs. Knight is a mem- 
ber of the Presbyterian Church, and prominent 
in its various circles. 



(p\ DAM B. PICKEDL, whose home is in Read- 
lA ington Township, Hunterdon County, and 
/ J who is a native of this same locality, has 
always followed farming and breeding of regis- 
tered Jersey cattle. He is a bright, enterprising 
business man, possessing native ability and con- 
siderable experience in the commercial world. 
He stands well in the estimation of all of his as- 
sociates, whether in a social or financial point of 
view, and is identified with the Odd Fellows, 
belonging to White House Dodge No. 207, of 
White House, N. J. Politically he is affiliated 
with the Democracy. 

Born October 13, 1854, Adam Pickell is next 
to the youngest in a family of nine children whose 
parents were Adrian H. and Mary A. (Bellis) 
Pickell, both natives of this county. The others 



are named as follows: Dizzie, Baltis N., Will- 
iam B., Jacob M., Ella A., Sanford, Maggie 
and Tillie. The grandfather of our subject was 
Baltis A. Pickell, a native of this county, and a 
land holder. He was of good old Holland-Dutch 
ancestry, his forefathers having been principally 
occupied in farming, and were permanently set- 
tled in America prior to the Revolutionary war. 
Adrian Pickell was a well-to-do farmer, owning 
improved property in Readington Township, in 
which locality he held various official positions, 
such as freeholder, assessor, collector, etc. 

From the time that he was old enough to be 
of substantial service in the work of his father's 
farm until 1888, Adam B. Pickell was engaged 
exclusively in agricultural pursuits, but in the 
year mentioned he concluded to turn his attention 
to mercantile occupations for a period at least. 
He became an employe of J. H. Davis as a clerk 
in his general store, and remained with him 
eight years. 

November 29, 1876, occurred one of the most 
important events in the life of our subject, as 
upon that da}' Miss Marilda Y. Sharp became 
his wife. She is a native of Hunterdon County, 
and is a lady of pleasing manners and culture. 
She received a good education in the public 
schools of her home district and is amply quali- 
fied to adorn any station in life to which she 
might be called. To Mr. and Mrs. Pickell have 
been born four children, of whom the only daugh- 
ter, Anna M., the wife of John J. Park, son of 
H. E. Park, county clerk, is the eldest. The 
sons are named, respectively, John B., now em- 
ployed in a store in Flemington; William Y. and 
Raymond A. 



REV. JEREMIAH B. J. RHODES became 
the pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal 
Church in Lebanon, Hunterdon County, in 
April, 1896, and during the period of his pastor- 
ate he was blessed in his ministrations to this 



543 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



people. His heart and soul are in gospel work, 
and he is a most zealous servant in the vineyard 
of the Master whom he serves. He feels deeply 
that no higher or holier calling could be his than 
to lead the sheep of his flock upward to a better 
and higher life, to a realization of the purpose of 
sin and suffering in this poor world, and the need 
of earnest preparation for the true life that is to 
come. 

The birth of the above-named gentleman took 
place in Hempstead, Queens County, N. Y. His 
parents were William L- and Mary A. (Jackson) 
Rhodes, both of whom were likewise natives of 
that county. The father was an agriculturist, 
has been interested in educational affairs rather 
than in political matters, and is an honest, un- 
assuming citizen, beloved by all who know him. 
He is now living retired, his home being in 
Roycefield, N. J. His father, William Rhodes, 
was a carpenter by trade, and was born and spent 
his whole life in Queens County. The mater- 
nal great-grandfather of our subject was Jeremiah 
B. Jackson, a Quaker, who was imprisoned dur- 
ing the War of 1812 for refusing to enter the 
army, it being against his religious convictions. 
To William L. and Mary Rhodes six children 
were born: Charles, who resides in Hempstead, 
L. I.; James H., of Roycefield, N. J., a printer 
by trade; John P., a merchant of Plainfield, N. 
J. ; Solomon, who died in infancy, and was a twin 
brother of J. B. J. Rhodes; and Phoebe A., who 
is still with her parents. 

The early years in the life of Rev. J. B. J. 
Rhodes were passed on his father's farm, his 
education being gained in the public schools. 
When he was about fourteen he commenced 
learning the printer's trade and was employed in 
one office five years. During a portion of his 
time he attended Brown's Business College in the 
evenings. He was converted when fourteen and 
from that time forward the conviction grew with- 
in his mind that he should enter the ministry. 
Under the advice of his pastor he commenced 
the study of languages and theology. In 1S90 
he took a position as local reporter on the Somer- 
ville Messenger, one of the oldest journals in 



the county, and in the following spring, in part- 
nership with his brother James, he bought the 
White House Monitor. This proved a finan- 
cial failure, and so had about everything he had 
undertaken in a business way, and this fact im- 
pressed him the more that he had mistaken his 
calling. In the fall of 1891 he was licensed as a 
local preacher, and the presiding elder sent him 
to the church at Centerville, N. J. He remained 
there a year and a-half, and during this time was 
married. The lady of his choice was Fannie S. 
Ingalls, a native of Greene Count}', N. Y., and 
daughter of Charles and Abi (Brandow) Ingalls. 
The father was a veteran of the late war; was 
severely wounded and was held a prisoner for 
six months in Libby prison, also six months in 
Andersonville prison. January 22, 1894, a son, 
Harold Elsworth, was born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Rhodes. 

From Centerville Rev. Mr. Rhodes went to 
Junction, Hunterdon County, and his labors were 
attended with gratifying success. He was 
located in Junction for three years, the church 
being materially strengthened in numbers and in 
other ways in the meanwhile. March 29, 1S96, 
Mr. Rhodes entered the Newark Conference and 
was ordained by Bishop Cyrus D. Foss, of Phila- 
delphia. In April following that event he took 
charge of the Lebanon church, which celebrated 
its quarter of a century October 17, 1897. He 
is not a graduate of am 7 of our renowned col- 
leges, and has been mainly dependent upon his 
own resources in the acquisition of an education, 
but his earnestness and natural ability are ample 
offsets for the more polished veneer of the clas- 
sical scholar. He takes great interest in the 
young people of this community, and is a very 
active worker in the Epworth League. For three 
years he was the secretary of the count}' organi- 
zation, and at the last annual meeting, held in 
May, 1897, was elected president of the same. 
He was one of the three persons who succeeded 
in effecting the founding of the said county as- 
sociation, which is undoubtedly of general bene- 
fit to the various churches in this district. At 
the last convention of the Elizabeth district of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



549 



Ep worth Leaguers of the Newark Conference he 
was chosen vice-president. In this territory is 
included Hunterdon and Union Counties, N. J., 
and Staten Island. 

Since April i, 1898, Rev. J. B. J. Rhodes has 
removed to Deuville, Morris County, N. J., at 
which place he is now pastor of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 



(TOHN O. HOLCOMBE carries on general 
I farming and dairying upon his valuable 
G/ homestead in East Amwell Township, Hun- 
terdon County. He is considered one of the most 
reliable business men of this locality and is prac- 
tical and progressive in all his methods of deal- 
ing with the problems of life. In 1886 he be- 
came a director in the Lambertville National 
Bank, and about five years later was elected vice- 
president of that substantial institution. 

The birth of our subject occurred in Delaware 
Township, Hunterdon County, July 9, 1854, and 
in fact, upon the same farm where he makes his 
home to-da}-, this place being at that time within 
the boundaries of the above-named township, 
but since placed in the limits of East Amwell. 
He is a son of Peter Ogden and grandson of 
Elias Holcombe, both likewise natives of this 
county. Peter Ogden Holcombe followed agri- 
cultural pursuits and was very successful as a 
farmer. He spent his early life and prime upon 
the home place now carried on by our subject, 
and retired from arduous cares in 1879, from that 
time residing in the village of Ringoes, where 
his death occurred in 18S5. His widow, former- 
ly Martha Higgins, is still living in Ringoes. 
They were the parents of four children, viz.: 
John Q., of this article; Henry, deceased; Kate, 
who lives in Ringoes; and Fanny, wife of Or- 
ville Dilts, a merchant of the same village. Peter 
Holcombe was twice married, his first wife hav- 
ing been Catherine Quick. The only child of 



that union, Ellen K., died when fourteen years 
of age. The father was a member in high stand- 
ing in the Presbyterian Church at Ringoes, and 
for a number of years he was a director in the 
Lambertville National Bank. 

The elementary education of John Q. Hol- 
combe was such as was to be had in the district 
schools of his boyhood. Desiring to be further 
equipped for the battle of life, he went to Trenton, 
N. J., and there pursued a course in the busi- 
ness college of that city. After graduating he re- 
turned home and took charge of the old farm, 
which he inherited from his father, and since 
then he has had the complete control of the prop- 
erty. He owns one hundred and forty-five acres 
altogether and has made improvements that have 
greatly increased the value of the place. He is a 
member of the Grange and keeps thoroughly 
posted on everything relating to the subject of 
agriculture, as far as he is able to do so. An 
earnest supporter of the principles of the Republi- 
can party, he was chosen by his friends of like 
ideas to appear as their candidate for the legis- 
lature in 1897, but they were defeated. 

In 1875 the marriage of Mr. Holcombe and 
Martha W. Quick, daughter of Caleb F. Quick, 
was solemnized. Four daughters have been born 
to this worthy couple, and are named as follows: 
Stella, Helen K., Alice C. and Marcia. 



■•'»®'X-t- -«--; — 



c)EORGE H. MILLEN is one of the most 
== reliable and trusted employes of the Dela- 
^X ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad 
Company. Just thirty years have rolled away 
since he became connected with this corporation, 
and during this period he has proved himself 
worth)' of entire confidence. From one position 
to another of greater importance he has been 
steadily advanced, until he is now occupying the 
place of foreman of the car inspectors, being 
located in Phillipsburg. He is a Republican, 



55° 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



and was elected from the third ward to the com- 
mon council of this place in 1880, and in 1891 
was re-elected, serving acceptably for two terms. 

The birth of our subject occurred in Morris 
County, N. J., September 20, 1843. His par- 
ents were James B. and Elizabeth (Nutt) Millen. 
The father was a native of Morris County, where 
his ancestors for many generations had resided. 
He followed the agricultural lines of making his 
livelihood and wrought out success by his indi- 
vidual efforts. He was an elder in the Presbyte- 
rian Church, and stood very high in the estima- 
tion of all who knew him. He died in February, 
1893, regretted by all, his loss being felt as one 
affecting the community at large. His wife came 
from an old and honored English family. Her 
father, Thomas Nutt, was a younger son in a 
wealthy house, and received very little in the 
way of property upon his father's death, as his 
eldest brother inherited the bulk of the estate, 
according to old English custom. He concluded 
to try his fortunes in the United States, and here 
passed the close of his life. Mrs. Elizabeth 
Milieu died in 1885. She was the mother of four 
children, of whom Sarah O. married John D. 
Liudsley, now of Morris County, N. J.; Thomas 
N. resides in Bound Brook, N. J., and Anna is 
the wife of C. B. Mills, who carries on the old 
homestead. 

In his boyhood George H. Millen attended the 
public schools until he was about seventeen. 
His chances for obtaining an education were, 
however, rather meager, as he only went to 
school in the winter season, and was actively 
engaged in farming in the summer. When 
the war broke out he enlisted in the Seventh 
Regiment of New Jersey Infantry, and served in 
the Army of the Potomac, participating in all the 
numerous engagements and battles in which his 
regiment bore a part. He was honorably dis- 
charged with the rank of second lieutenant. 
After the war he came to Phillipsburg, and has 
been thoroughly identified with the best interests 
of this community ever since. March 1, 1866, 
he became connected with the Warren Foundry, 
and two years later, on the 2 2d of March, 



entered the employ of the railway to which 
he still gives his services. Fraternally he be- 
longs to the Masonic order, being a member of 
Delaware Lodge No. 52, F. & A. M. ; Eagle 
Chapter No. 30, R. A. M. , and is past master of 
the first-named. He is also a member of the 
Knights of Pythias. September 25, 1865, Mr. 
Millen married Bertha B. Arnold, daughter of 
Samuel D. Arnold, and grandchild of Gen. Jacob 
D. Arnold, an officer of the Revolutionary war. 
Mr. Millen and wife are members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. 



==s= 



UMMER BROTHERS is the firm name of 
Mansfield H. and Elias W. Hummer, who 
for twenty years have been engaged in busi- 
ness in Aunandale, Hunterdon County. They 
have a large and flourishing carriage and wagon 
factory here and do general blacksmith work as 
well. During the past two decades the firm has 
established a record for excellent and reliable 
goods and the demand for work turned out by 
them is constantly increasing. 

The parents of the two brothers were James 
W. and Ann (Anderson) Hummer. The father 
was a son of Adam Hummer, who was born in 
this county, but whose father was a native of 
Germany, coming to this section in company with 
two brothers. Grandfather Adam Hummer was 
a life-long agriculturist in these parts. James 
W. was born in Franklin Township in 181 6, and 
died at his home November 17, 18S9. Through- 
out his career he was an active farmer, successful 
and enterprising, and enjoyed the confidence and 
respect of the whole community in which his lot 
was cast. At various times he had held local 
offices with dignity and honor, faithful to his 
duties to the smallest detail. For almost half a 
century he and his loved wife were members of 
the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, and for 
much of this period he was an elder, Sunday- 
school superintendent or an officer of some sort. 




REV. HENRY E. HIBSHMAN. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



553 



In his early years he was a Whig, later affiliating 
with the Republican party. To himself and wife 
seven sons were born; of these six grew to ma- 
turity and five still survive. 

Elias W. Hummer was born on the old home- 
stead October 20, 1848, and at the age of seven- 
teen years began serving an apprenticeship to 
the carriage-making trade with H. F. Apger, of 
Annandale. In 1869 he became a partner in the 
business, and about this time the younger brother, 
Mansfield, commenced his initiatory work in the 
factory, acting as an apprentice for three years. 
From 1873 to 1876 Elias W. was employed in 
the New Jersey Central Railroad shops in Eliza- 
bethtown, but during the Centennial year the 
brothers joined their interests and opened a car- 
riage factory in Lebanon, N. J., where they re- 
mained two 3'ears. Then, moving to Annandale, 
they purchased the old shop where they had both 
learned the trade, and have since that time con- 
ducted it with ability. The building has been 
enlarged and in 1890 was doubled in size, in order 
to meet the demands of the steadily- growing 
business. All kinds of carriages, carts and 
wagons are made in the factory, and to satisfy 
the requirements of special customers the firm 
carry a stock of vehicles of certain well-known 
manufacturers outside. The firm takes contracts 
for work from parties in other towns, wholesale 
merchants, etc. From four to six' men are em- 
ployed the year round, and during busy seasons 
more as necessary are summoned to their aid. 
The brothers are natural mechanics, possessing 
real genius and love for the business. Work 
turned out by them always gives entire satisfac- 
tion, and "once a customer, always a customer" 
seems to be the rule with their patrons. 

Elias W. Hummer and Mary, daughter of 
Jacob Freeh, were united in marriage October 5, 
1870. She is a member of the Reformed Church 
of this place and takes great interest in religious 
enterprises. For twenty-one years Mr. Hummer 
has been affiliated with the Masonic order, and is 
a member of Clinton Lodge No. 34, F. & A. M. 
In politics he is an ardent Republican, and. was 
the first man elected in his township as registrar 



under the Australian ballot system. In 1890 he 
was the nominee of his party for committeeman, 
and two years later he was elected a justice of the 
peace, but declined to qualify. For ten years he 
has been an elder in the Reformed Church, for 
two years prior to this was a deacon, and ten 
3'ears he has served as superintendent of the Sun- 
day-school, and been active in the Christian 
Endeavor Society. He and his wife have one 
child, George F. 

Mansfield Hummer was born July 31, 1850, 
and, like his elder brother, he is a strong Re- 
publican, doing his duty as a citizen and voter at 
all times. He married Belinda, daughter of 
Peter Alpaugh, in January, 1874. She holds 
membership with the Reformed Church and is a 
most estimable lady. 



~)EV. HENRY E. HIBSHMAN. While 
/\ Mr. Hibshman has been a resident of Mount 
\ Pleasant for a short time only, he has al- 
ready won a position of prominence among the 
people of this place. On the 2d of March, 1898, 
he was called to the pastorate of the Alexandria 
Presbyterian Church and at once began the dis- 
charge of his duties here, where he has since met 
with a success that is creditable to himself and 
highly gratifying to the congregation. A native 
of Pennsylvania, he was. born in Wynesboro, 
Franklin County, January 31, 1871, and is the 
son of Rev. H. H. W. and Alice (Clark) Hibsh- 
man, both natives of Lancaster County, that 
state. 

For thirty-four years Rev. H. H. W. Hibsh- 
man was engaged in ministerial work, being as- 
sociated with the German Reformed Church of 
the United States during this entire period. He 
was educated in Franklin and Marshall College 
at Lancaster and the theological seminary of 
the same place, and was ordained to the ministry 
in 1S63. Being an indefatigable worker, his la- 
bors were not without their reward. Durina: his 



24 



554 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



long period of service in the ministry he caused 
five churches and six parsonages to be erected, 
and the institutions with which he was associated 
he left entirely free from debt. He was one of 
the founders of Ursinus College, at Collegeville, 
Montgomery County, Pa. He held a pasto- 
rate at Tiffin, Ohio, for a period of ten years 
and during four years of that time he occu- 
pied the position of Secretary of the Board of 
Regents of Heidelberg University. His last 
charge was at Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pa., 
where he died of paralysis of the heart, April 
12, 1895. His widow is residing in her own 
home, with her mother, at Lancaster. Rev. and 
Mrs. H. H. W. Hibshman were the parents of 
six sons and one daughter, all of whom are liv- 
ing. The eldest son, Rev. E. Clark, is pastor of 
the Reformed Church at Stroudsburg, Pa., fill- 
ing the charge his father formerly held; Allen P. 
is extensively engaged in farming near Reading, 
Berks County, Pa. Rev. Albert H. is pastor of 
the large Reformed Church at Shippensburg, Pa. 
Henry E. is next in order of birth. Dr. Walter 
S. is a physician at Milford, N. J. Roy S. gradu- 
ated from Mercersburg College in June, 1898; 
and Margaret S., the youngest of the family, is a 
pupil in the high school at Lancaster. 

The rudiments of his education Rev. H. E. 
Hibshman acquired in the school at Stone 
Church, Northampton County, Pa. Afterward 
he attended the high school at Tiffin, Ohio, and 
later carried on his studies in Heidelberg College 
for five years. Next he became a student in the 
University at Wooster, Ohio, where he gradu- 
ated in 1892 with the degree of A. B. Two 
years later the degree of A. M. was conferred. 
After his graduation from the university he en- 
tered Princeton Theological Seminary, where he 
continued his studies for two years. On the 
completion of his first year's course the Presby- 
terian Sunday-school board appointed him to 
missionary work, his field being in and about the 
rough hills of the western part of South Dakota, 
where he labored with untiring energy among 
the cowboys and the pioneer element for six 
months. 



During his second year's course at Princeton 
he was interested in musical pursuits and invent- 
ed a harp, the merit of which was recognized by 
Alfred Dolge & Son, the recently large and in- 
fluential music firm of New York City. They 
purchased the invention and offered Mr. Hibsh- 
man a position in their establishment, which he 
accepted, remaining with the firm a little more 
than two years. During his second year he was 
employed as traveling salesman for the firm. 
Meantime he continued to interest himself in 
Christian activities and projects, and often 
preached a sermon dressed in the business suit 
he wore on his travels. During the vacation the 
firm granted him he filled the pulpit of Rev. D. 
M. Sterns, D. D., of Germantown, Philadelphia, 
and about the same time he also preached for 
Bishop Nicholson, of the Reformed Episcopal 
Church of Chestnut street, Philadelphia. While 
on one of his business trips he received a request 
by wire to preach to a congregation without a 
pastor, at Newburg, Cumberland County, Pa. 
He preached on the Sunday desired and two 
weeks later was unanimously elected to the pas- 
torate of the church. He accepted the call and 
entered the ministry, to which he has since given 
his entire attention. 

During his stay at Ziou Reformed Church, 
Newburg, he labored with great energy for the 
improvement of the church property, as well as 
the upbuilding of the spiritual interests of the 
congregation, and the results were most gratify- 
ing to himself and his congregation. Improve- 
ments were made in the building and a new or- 
gan purchased, the total cost aggregating $2,300. 
When he resigned the pastorate there was a neat 
surplus in the hands of the treasurer, a fact that 
spoke well for his financial management. The 
congregation has one of the prettiest and most 
complete countrj' churches in that section. From 
Newburg he came to Mount Pleasant in 189S. 
Energetic and thoroughly devoted to his work, 
he is making friends rapidly and does much good 
in the field of his labor. March 10, 1897, he 
married Miss Florence Singmaster Edinger, 
daughter of Associate Judge Edinger. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



555 



The career of Mr. Hibshman has been marked 
by religious fervor and conscientious, principles, 
and these characteristics are traced from early 
boyhood days, where a potent influence was 
brought to bear upon him by his intimate rela- 
tions with Hon. A. Herr Smith and sister Eliza, 
of Lancaster, a saintly brother and sister, who 
left upon his character their impress for charity 
and philanthropy and showed an almost parental 
interest in his welfare. 



EWIS HAZELIUS TAYLOR. Probably no 
I C name is more widely known in western 
L^ New Jersey than is the one that stands at the 
head of this article, and certainly no name is more 
honored, as it brings to the minds of our citizens 
the career of one who has built up a great indus- 
try, thus affording employment to hundreds of 
men, and one whose genius has reached out into 
various fields of interprise, such as the construc- 
tion of railroads, etc. Literally he has been the 
. " architect of his own fortunes " and few men are 
gifted with the natural talent, the wise and judici- 
ous handling of great affairs, that have marked 
his business pathway. 

Mr. Taylor, president of the celebrated Taylor 
Iron and Steel Works, of High Bridge, Hunter- 
don County, was born January 29, 181 1, in the 
same house and identical room which had been 
his father's birthplace. This historic old man- 
sion is connected with a wing, which formed the 
home of Robert' Taylor, grandfather of our sub- 
ject, and founder of the family in America. This 
Robert Taylor was born in Ireland, came to New 
Jersey in 1757, and lived until 182 1, then dying 
in the same room where his son Archibald, the 
father of Lewis H., was born. In one room in 
the older section of this mansion, one hundred 
and twenty years ago, Gov. John Penn and At- 
torney-General Benjamin Chew, the last colonial 
officials of Pennsylvania, were placed as prisoners 



of war by the Continental Congress, in charge of 
Robert Taylor. Two volumes of " Memoirs" 
by Sir John Dalrymple, Baronet, were presented 
to Robert Taylor by Governor Penn and are now 
in the possession of his grandson. 

Soon after his arrival in this section, Robert 
Taylor became connected with the old Union 
Iron Works, then owned by the wealthy English 
capitalists and land owners, Allen & Turner, and 
superintended by Colonel Hackett. After the 
death of the last-mentioned gentleman, Robert 
Taylor became his successor in the management 
of the works and as such continued until about 
1783, when the business was suspended indefi- 
nitely. The furnace of this plant was the first 
erected in America, though the precise date is 
not known, but it can be proved by old records 
that it was prior to 1710. The family of Robert 
Taylor comprised three children: Archibald; 
John Allen, who studied medicine and whose 
home was in Brooklyn, but who was never en- 
gaged in practice; and Harriet E-, who married 
Col. R. E. De Russy, of the United States Engi- 
neering Corps, and was sent to the Pacific slope 
during the war of the Rebellion to take charge of 
the building of the Golden Gate Fort at San 
Francisco. 

The parents of L. H. Taylor were Archibald 
S. and Ann (Bray) Taylor. The former inher- 
ited an ample fortune from his father, and thus 
being relieved of the necessity of entering busi- 
ness he devoted himself to literary pursuits and 
to the management of his property. Nearly all 
his life was passed under the roof that now shel- 
ters our subject and his family. Of the eight 
children born to Archibald and Ann Taylor only 
Lewis survives. The mother was a native of 
what is now known as Clinton Township, this 
county. The father, born in 1780, died in i860. 

Lewis H. Taylor passed his boyhood years in 
the old home where he still resides, and received 
private tutoring, as the schools of the period were 
of little account in this locality. He later went 
to Hartwick Seminary, near Cooperstown, N. Y., 
that institution being then in charge of his uncle, 
Ernest Lewis Hazelius, D. D., for whom he had 



556 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



been named. He spent about three years in 
that place and subsequently studied again under 
tutors at home. He engaged in merchandising 
and varied pursuits until the gold excitement of 
1849, when, in company with his brother, Gen. 
George W. Taylor, he set sail for the Pacific 
coast on the Crescent City, she being on her 
first trip via the Isthmus of Panama. The 
argonauts were among the first arrivals in San 
Francisco, and were engaged in different ven- 
tures, and contracted to furnish timber for the 
first wharves built in that city. Our subject did 
not meet with great success, and determined to 
return home at the end of two years. Very soon 
after his arrival among the scenes of his youth 
he embarked in the enterprise which has since 
grown to such extensive proportions. He built 
a forge on the site of the historic old pre-revolu- 
tionary works of the Union Iron Company, near 
High Bridge. In the early days the company 
had been engaged in manufacturing ' ' charcoal 
iron," and for a period this same process was 
used by Mr. Taylor. This was known as 
Bloomed iron, being made directly from the na- 
tive ore. These works are now the only ones 
having the right to manufacture manganese steel 
in the United States. The business has been en- 
larged from time to time until it is recognized as 
being one of the most important plants of the 
kind in this country. In addition to the car- 
wheel department an important one is that of the 
forge, where all kinds of car and locomotive forg- 
ings, car axles, etc., are made. From four to 
five hundred hands are afforded occupation in 
the various departments of the works. The com- 
pany was incorporated in 1869, with Mr. Taylor 
as president, which office he still holds. The 
plant is situated on the south branch of the Rari- 
tou River, at the junction of the High Bridge and 
Central Railroads of New Jersey. Around and 
connecting the different shops are nearly four 
miles of railway. 

In company with Edward C. Knight, of Phila- 
delphia, and others, Mr. Taylor became inter- 
ested in the Delaware & Bound Brook Railroad, 
in 1873. This road was built under the free 



railroad laws of New Jersey, the route selected 
being nearly the original survey of the National 
Air Line, which company had commenced the 
construction of the same, but through lack of the 
proper organization had failed. When Mr. Tay- 
lor took hold of it, its success was assured, and 
to his energy and capability the people of New 
Jersey and other states owe the completion of 
this rival to the New Jersey Railway, controlled 
by the Pennsylvania Company. In 1873 Mr. 
Taylor was instrumental in procuring a charter 
for the construction of a railroad from High 
Bridge to Chester, N. J., and this branch was 
afterwards consolidated with the Longwood Val- 
ley Railroad. He has not had time in his many 
financial undertakings to engage actively in poli- 
tics, but he has been loyal in his allegiance to the 
Republican party. 

The marriage of L. H. Taylor and Jane C. 
Johnston was solemnized April 5, 1835. She 
was a daughter of William Johnston, a native of 
Bloomsbury, Warren County, but who was a 
business man of Philadelphia the greater part of 
his life. Of the eight children of our subject 
five attained maturity. Capt. Archibald S. was 
the third sou of Mr. Taylor and was one of the 
first to respond to his country's call for aid in 
the Civil war. He was a private in Duryea's 
Zouaves until just prior to the battle of Big 
Bethel, when he was promoted for gallantry to a 
lieutenantcy, and transferred to the Third Regi- 
ment of the First Brigade of New Jersey. Before 
he was twenty he was commissioned captain and 
distinguished himself for his soldiery qualities. 
Death, who "loves a shining mark," sought 
him out, and sadly finished his glorious career, 
when he lacked but a month of reaching his ma- 
jority. He was killed in the second battle of 
Fredericksburg, near Salem Church. Another 
gallant hero of the Civil war was Gen. George 
W. Taylor, a brother of Lewis H., and the one 
who was his companion on his trip to the gold 
fields. Gen. George W. Taylor was connected 
with the United States navy for some time, and 
then served in the army under Gen. Zachary 
Taylor all through the war with Mexico. In the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



55/ 



late Civil war he entered the service as colonel of 
the Third Regiment, First Brigade of New Jer- 
sey, was promoted for his bravery and daring to 
be brigadier-general and was killed at the second 
battle of Bull Run, where the renowned General 
Kearny also met death. 



30HN S. HOCKENBURY, proprietor of the 
Stockton Hotel, in Stockton, Hunterdon 
County, is one of the best-known citizens 
of this section. Since purchasing this property 
he has conducted the hotel with ability. His 
numerous patrons are always pleased when their 
business affairs take them to this locality, for the 
genial courtesy of "mine host" is remembered by 
the traveling public, and the comforts of home 
life which they enjoy while here, under his hos- 
pitable roof, is a matter of comment among the 
"knights of the grip." 

J. S. Hockeubury was born in Kingwood 
Township, Hunterdon County, August 5, 182 1, 
being a son of John and Sarah (Sutton) Hock- 
eubury. They had eight children, five of whom 
survive. The father was a native of Erwinna, 
Pa., and was but ten years old when his father 
died. The latter was a native of Holland, but 
. came to America at an early day. John Hockeu- 
bury, Sr. , learned the shoemaker's trade from 
his uncle, with whom he served a seven years' ap- 
prenticeship. Later he purchased a small farm and 
spent a portion of his time in the cultivation of 
the place, the remainder being occupied with 
work at his trade. When his boys became of an 
age to be of assistance to him he bought a larger 
farm, after which he was exclusively devoted to 
its management until 1870, when his death took 
place. 

When about twenty years of age the subject 
of this article found employment in a country 
store at Croton. In a short time his superior 
was taken ill and asked young Hockeubury to 



take charge of the store, and run it for himself. 
He allowed him to make an invoice of the stock, 
payment to be made later. The sick man died 
the same year, and our subject settled with the 
executor of his estate, meeting all obligations. 
For seven years he conducted the business with 
success, but in 1847 met with a misfortune, as 
the store, which was not insured, burned down. 
He pluckily rebuilt and continued business as 
before until 1850, when he removed to French- 
town and was there the proprietor of a store for a 
year. 

In 1 85 1 he commenced to sell fruits and vege- 
tables in Flemington, giving about five years to 
this employment. In 1856 he commenced his 
career as a hotel keeper, by purchasing the 
property known as the County-house, which he 
carried on four years. In i860 he sold out, and 
once more turned his attention to merchandising, 
being situated in Flemington for four years in 
this enterprise. The next two years he was in 
New York City, but his speculations there proved 
disastrous, and he went on the road as a sales- 
man for a wholesale grocery house. In 1871 he 
took charge of a hotel in Millstone, Somerset 
County, and was there three years. During the 
almost quarter of a century of his residence here 
he has prospered and is numbered among our 
most enterprising business men. In politics he 
is a Democrat. 

November 25, 1843, the marriage of Mr. Hock- 
eubury and Sarah Rittenhouse was solemnized. 
Of their eleven children six survive. 



-3— s »>^e 



|9®H-5<» ' — 5- 



WILLIAM W. PURSELL, M. D., is one of 
the representative physicians and surgeons 
of Hunterdon County, and for nearly a 
quarter of a century has been established in prac- 
tice in the thriving little town of White House. 
He enjoys a very extended patronage and is con- 
stantly being called to distant parts of this and 



553 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



adjoining townships. Since coming to this place 
the doctor has been thoroughly identified with 
her welfare and has been a powei for progress in 
the community. His warm personal friends here 
are legion, and with all classes he is held in the 
high esteem which his life of devotion to humanity 
only justly merits. 

The parents of our subject were William and 
Mary (Hough) Pursell, natives of Hunterdon 
County, N. J., and Bucks County, Pa., respect- 
ively. The father grew to manhood here and 
then went to Pennsylvania, where he was mar- 
ried and where for some years he was engaged in 
the lumber trade near Wilkesbarre. W. W. 
Pursell, of this sketch, was the youngest child and 
was born in Luzerne County, September 10, 1849. 
He was given good educational advantages, and 
graduated from the Normal Institute at Carvers- 
ville with the degree of Bachelor of Sciences. 
Having finished his preparatory studies, he be- 
came a pupil in Lafayette College, at Easton, 
Pa., in 1 87 1. Before completing the course he 
determined to enter the medical profession, and, 
in accordance with that resolve, was enrolled in 
Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia. In 
1874 he was duly graduated with the degree of 
Doctor of Medicine, and was chosen from a large 
number of students as being especially qualified 
to serve as resident house physician in Bedford 
Street Dispensary and Hospital, Philadelphia. 
While there he obtained valuable information 
and experience in his future field of effort, and 
thoroughly demonstrated his ability to cope with 
the difficult phases of the work. 

It was in the fall of 1874 that the doctor de- 
cided to locate permanently in White House, and 
in a very short time he had built up a reputation 
for skill that time has only confirmed in the 
minds of the public. He is a member of the In- 
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to 
the White House lodge, and is also connected 
with the Independent Order of Foresters, of White 
House Station, and is physician to both lodges. 
His right of franchise he uses in favor of the 
nominees of the Republican party. Religiously 
he is a Methodist, being identified with the local 



congregation of that denomination. To all pub- 
lic charities in this vicinity he is a sincere friend, 
giving of his time and means and influence when 
he deems the said charity worthy of support. He 
is a member of the Phi Kappa Psi, of Lafayette 
College. 

In 1877 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. 
Pursell and Miss Emma J. Ditmars, a native of 
Hunterdon County, and a daughter of Peter and 
Mary Ditmars, old and prominent citizens of this 
section of the state. To the union of the doctor 
and wife four children have been born, viz.: 
Ethel, Ada M., Don W. J. and Margaret, all 
living at home. 



UGENE HOFFMAN, an energetic and 
*y hustling young business man of Readington 
._ Township, Hunterdon Count}', is now serv- 
ing the people of this locality as assessor, he hav- 
ing been elected to that office in the spring of 
1897, f° r a term of three years. He is a stanch 
defender of the principles of the Democracy and 
has been chosen to occupy official positions, such 
as commissioner and one of the election board, 
always meeting every requirement of the same to 
the full satisfaction of all concerned. 

Mr. Hoffman is a native of this county, having 
been born August 8, 1S57. He is the third in 
order of birth in a family comprising eleven chil- 
dren, one of whom is deceased. The others are 
named as follows: John A., William T., Elmira, 
Hannah C, Lydia, Alice R., Annie S., Emma C. 
and Mary I. The parents are Frederick and 
Mary A. (Teeter) Hoffman, both natives of Hun- 
terdon County. The father is a shoemaker by 
trade, and has been engaged in merchandising. 
His father, William I., was born in this county 
likewise, and was an extensive farmer. 

The youth of our subject was spent upon his 
father's farm and he determined quite early in 
life to adopt the same calling as that of most of 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



559 



his ancestors. He was occupied in agricultural 
pursuits up to 1895, when he turned his attention 
to dealing in fertilizers. He is a member of 
White House Lodge No. 207, I. O. O. F., of 
White House, N. J., and is vice-grand of the 
lodge. 

The marriage of Mr. Hoffman and Martha J. 
Welsh was solemnized October 10, 1877. She 
is a daughter of Morris and Mary (Stillwell) 
Welsh, all of this county, as was also the grand- 
father, David Welsh. Mrs. Hoffman has three 
brothers, David M., Aaron L. and Charles L. 
The union of our subject and wife has been 
blessed with three children, viz.: Mary L. , 
Anna E. and Ida M., but the latter is deceased. 
The family are identified with the Reformed 
Church of White House, and are held in high re- 
gard by a large circle of acquaintances and 
friends. 



[~}ORTER C. LJTTLE has been engaged in 
L/' running a coal, grain and fertilizer business 
f>2 in Pittstown, Hunterdon County, for the 
past seven years.- He is in the prime of life and 
activity and has succeeded in building up an ex- 
tensive trade in this vicinity. He is a stanch 
patriot and public-spirited citizen, having in- 
herited from his ancestors high principles of con- 
duct and just regard for the rights of others. 
Religiously he is a member of the Baptist Church, 
and by his means and influence strives to pro- 
mote righteousness and elevate mankind. 

A native of Hunterdon County, our subject 
was born upon a farm about a mile distant from 
this place, January 21, 1846. He was the second 
in a family of three children whose parents were 
Sedgwick and Lucinda (Hoff) Little. The eld- 
est child, Elizabeth, died when about eighteen 
years old; and George C, the youngest, is a 
farmer and now owns and cultivates the old fam- 
ily homestead in this township. The father, 
Sedgwick Little, was born on the same farm in 



1812 and followed agricultural pursuits in con- 
nection with milling during his whole life-time. 
He owned a good mill, which he managed for up- 
wards of twenty years. Though a loyal Repub- 
lican, he was never induced to hold any public 
office. An earnest member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, he died as he had lived, strong 
in the faith that he had professed for years. His 
labors ended, he entered into his reward in 
1880, when in his sixty-eighth year. His par- 
ents were Christy and Rachel (Cook) Little, both 
likewise natives of this county. The father did 
arduous work as a patriot in the war of the Revo- 
lution; leaving all of his own affairs, and taking 
his team from home, he carted supplies to the Con- 
tinental troops for the long period of four years. 
He was a pensioner of the Revolution for many 
years, up to the time of his death. The mother 
of our subject was born in Kingwood Township, 
this county, and was only thirty-five years old 
when death claimed her. She was also a de- 
voted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and was loved by all who knew her. Her par- 
ents were Cornelius and Elizabeth Hoff, of old 
Hunterdon County families. 

When he was nineteen Porter C. Little left the 
old home where his youth had been spent, and 
went to New York, where he obtained employ- 
ment in a store. At the expiration of a year he 
decided to try his fortune in the west, and in 
April, 1867, going to Kansas, was occupied in 
raising stock for some years, after which he was 
engaged in contracting and building railroads in 
Kansas, Arkansas and the Indian Territory and 
also some in Texas. This business consumed 
two years and more, and, from a financial point 
of view, he was moderately successful. After- 
wards he returned to Kansas for a few mouths, 
and in 1874 came back to his old home in this 
county. Here he carried on a farm for three 
years, then went to Kansas again, and was for 
two and a-half years in the stock business there. 

In 1879 Mr. Little sold out his interest in the 
west and upon his return was married and went 
into partnership with Hiram Deats and Hiram 
Deats, Jr., in the manufacturing business. At 



5 6 ° 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



the close of twelve months he took charge of a 
farm at Pittstovvn, which he has since bought and 
where he now resides. In 1891 he rented the rail- 
road company's coal clumps in Pittstown, and 
has since given his attention to the coal, grain 
and fertilizer business. 

January 21, 1880, the marriage of Mr. Little 
and Miss Rebecca Julia Deats was solemnized. 
She was a daughter of Hiram and Rebecca (Hig- 
gins) Deats, and at her death she left one child, 
Julia May, who died at the age of two years. In 
November, 1884, Mr. Little was united in mar- 
riage with Mrs. Sarah Ellen Deats, of this place. 
They have two children by this marriage, Dan- 
iel Frederick, born October 10, 1885, and Julia 
Maud, born November 14, 1887. 



-^r*~ 



(JEROME EMMONS, deceased, formerly a re- 
I spected resident of New Germantown, Hun- 
(2/ terdon County, was summoned to his reward 
June 16, 1896. Though his pathway through 
life was quiet and unassuming, he was ever 
conscientious and faithful in the discharge of the 
least as well as the greatest of his duties and left 
a name of blameless integrity. He was noted 
among his associates as a man of absolute in- 
tegrity and justice in his dealings with all, and 
his memory is kindly cherished in scores of hearts 
whom he had endeared himself to by his manly 
virtues. 

A son of Garrett Lowe and Ann (Henry) 
Emmons, our subject was born in this county in 
1820. The father was a blacksmith by occupa- 
tion, a hard-working and honest man, but one 
who had not the means to educate his children as 
he would have liked. He died November 26, 
1858, and his wife survived him but a short time, 
dying July 3. i860. They were both about 
sixty-five years of age at the time of their de- 
mise. 
Jerome Emmons was mainly self-educated, as 



he did not have the opportunities that fall to 
nearly every child in this day. He was naturally 
quick to learn, however, and was a man of good 
information on current topics, as he kept well 
posted on events transpiring in the busy world, 
and his habit of keen observation and the experi- 
ence derived from friction in business made him 
appear the equal of others who had had much 
better advantages. He was employed by the late 
Hiram Deats, of Flemington, for upwards of 
twenty years, giving complete satisfaction, and 
winning an enviable name for honesty, punctu- 
ality and reliability. He was very prudent and 
careful of his earnings, and from time to time 
made judicious investments of his means. Thus 
he was enabled to settle down in peaceful enjoy- 
ment of his competence much sooner than he 
could otherwise have done. He established a 
home in New Germantown in the year 1884, and 
within its comfortable confines his widow is still 
living. He was never a politician, but was faith- 
ful in his duty as a voter, giving his ballot to the 
nominees of the Democracy. For a period he 
acted in the capacity of township commissioner, 
and was commended by all concerned for his 
prompt and zealous work as such. By his own 
request his remains were placed in the Baptist 
cemetery at Clinton. 

March 26, 1885, Mr. Emmons married Eliza 
C. Stiger, of Lebanon Township, this county. 
Her father, John Stiger, was a farmer of Clinton 
Township. From her mother's side of the family 
she inherited a comfortable fortune, and is quite 
a business woman, looking after her financial 
affairs herself. Besides the pretty home in which 
she resides, she has the income of a place in 
Potterstown, and owns a fine farm of ninety-two 
acres near Califon. This land is especially 
adapted to the growing of grain and fruit, and is 
a valuable homestead. Mrs. Emmons has under- 
taken the bringing up of a bright and promising 
boy to whom her husband had become attached, 
and is giving him a good education. She retains 
her membership in the Baptist Church of Clinton, 
where she formerly attended, and aids not only 
in its maintenance, but also in that of the 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



56i 



Lutheran Church of New Germantown, which 
she usually attends. She is loved and respected 
by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, 
here and elsewhere. 



qJEORGE B. SMITH is a member of the firm 
._ of Smith & Hawk, who carry on a general 
,JJ merchandising business in the town of Clin- 
ton, Hunterdon County. He is also the owner 
of a valuable farm situated within the corporate 
limits of the town, and of late years he has been 
quite extensively interested in dairying, supply- 
ing the townspeople with milk from his farm. He 
has taken a very active part in the various affairs 
of moment in this locality, and is at present a 
member of the town council, now serving his sec- 
ond term in this position. He was commissioner 
of streets for the borough of Clinton for a period, 
and under his jurisdiction the highways were 
materially improved. In national affairs he is an 
ardent supporter of the platform and nominees of 
the Republican party, as he is an earnest be- 
liever in its far-reaching and wise policy for the 
American people. 

David B. Smith, the father of the above, is still 
living, as he has done for man}' years, upon his 
well-improved farm in Readington Township, 
Hunterdon County. His father before him, John 
Smith, was likewise an agriculturist. The father 
of our subject chose for his companion and help- 
mate along the journey of life Phoebe S. Johnson, 
who, like himself, was born and brought up in 
this county. Their marriage was blessed by the 
birth of seven children, all of whom survive to 
this time, and are as follows: David S., a resi- 
dent of Warren County; George B.; Carrie; Will- 
iam H., a farmer of Warren County; Annie, who 
is married and lives in Elizabeth; Cyrus, a resi- 
dent of Clinton Township; and Marcus, twin- 
brother of Cyrus, still on the home farm with his 
father. 



George B. Smith was born near Pleasant Run, 
Readington Township, August 24, 1864. He 
attended the district schools and left home when 
about fourteen to seek his own livelihood, work- 
ing upon various farms until four years or more 
had rolled away. He then went to Lincoln, 111., 
where he commenced learning telegraphy in the 
office of the Western Union. He continued at 
this employment for two and a-half years, then 
returning to his native state. He rented a farm 
near Clinton, and gave his chief energies to agri- 
culture until, in 1 S93, he purchased the property, 
a tract of eighty acres, on which he dwells to- 
day. February 20, 1896, he entered into part- 
nership with John M. Hawk, and together they 
started in business in Clinton, and have done 
very well. They have a well-selected stock of 
dry goods and notions, at differing prices and 
qualities, suitable to the widely varied demands 
of the trade. Formerly Mr. Smith was a mem- 
ber of Lodge No. 185, I. O. O. F., was past 
grand and represented his lodge in the grand 
lodge of the state. Owing to the many and 
varied cares that his business interests lay upon 
him, he has dropped his fraternal relations for 
the time being. 

December 10, 1891, the marriage of Mr. Smith 
and Mamie C. Stout was solemnized. She is a 
daughter of George A. Stout, of Clinton Town- 
ship, and is a lady of most pleasing personality 
and attainments. 



•' : >o , 0\ , ^i' 



0IMEON P. STRYKER. Among the farmers 
/\ and business men of Hunterdon County this 
Q) gentleman holds a position of prominence 
and influence. The greater part of his active 
life has been spent at his present place of resi- 
dence in Kingwood Township. Coming here in 
1856 he settled in the village of Tumble, where 
he built a saw and lumber mill and this he has since 
operated. In 1887 he added a grist mill. In ad- 



562 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



dition he is the owner of a well-improved farm 
consisting of one hundred acres and bearing ex- 
cellent improvements. His present prosperity is 
especially commendable because it is entirely the 
result of his personal efforts, for he started out for 
himself without capital and was obliged to work 
his way forward unaided by wealthy friends or 
extraneous circumstances. 

The son of Minicus and Isabella Stryker, our 
subject was born in Somerset County, N. J., in 
1828. When he was five years old his mother 
died and four years later he was wholly orphaned 
by the death of his father. Deprived of the af- 
fection and oversight of his parents , the youth had 
few pleasures or opportunities. He was bound 
out to a farmer, but at the age of fifteen was 
made an apprentice to the millwright's trade, at 
which he served for five years. Afterward he 
followed his trade for thirteen years in the em- 
ploy of others, and carefully hoarded his earnings 
in order that he might have the necessary capi- 
tal for starting in business. He is a keen and 
capable business man, quick to see an opportunity 
and equally quick to grasp it. As a member of 
the Democratic party he is active in politics. For 
four terms he served as committeeman and as 
surveyor of highways. He is a member of the 
Grange and interested in everything that is con- 
ducive to the prosperity of the farmers of this 
section. 

By the marriage of Mr. Stryker to Miss Eliza, 
daughter of John Parker, four children were born, 
two daughters, both of whom are married, and 
two sons. The family attend the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. 



30HN NEWTON LOWE, M. D. The medi- 
cal profession is one that in all ages and 
localities has called to its practice men of 
superior intelligence and depth of character. 
None else can succeed, for the profession demands 



men of brains and untiring perseverance. One of 
the well-known physicians of Milford is the sub- 
ject of this article, who has had many years of 
experience in practice and has gained a thorough 
theoretical and practical knowledge of its every 
department and phase. For some j-ears after 
entering upon the profession he followed the 
regular school in his practice, but succeeding 
years of investigation and study led him to alter 
his views and to abandon the old school for the 
new, which he now practices. 

The office of Dr. Lowe is located at his home 
on North Main street. He settled in Milford 
April 1, 1870, coming here from Titusville, Mer- 
cer County, N. J., where he had practiced for 
several years. After graduating from the med- 
ical department of the University of New York in 
1862 he followed the school of allopathy until 
1865, since which time he has been ahomeopath- 
ist. He has been highly successful and ranks 
among the foremost in his profession in the 
county of Hunterdon, which has been his life- 
long home. A man of broad education, cultured 
and well informed, he has the regard of all with 
whom professional or social relations have brought 
him into contact. 

Dr. Lowe's father, John J. Lowe, was a leading 
farmerofhis day in Hunterdon County. Inter- 
ested in public affairs, he was a man of influence 
among his neighbors. In 1830 he took the first 
census ever taken in the northern part of the 
county. He was especially devoted to religious 
work and was an earnest member of the Reformed 
Dutch Church. When in life's prime, at the age 
of forty, he was called from earth. The family 
of which he was a member dates back several 
generations in Hunterdon Count}-, where his 
father, John Lowe, was born and where he died 
at eighty years of age. The mother of our sub- 
ject was Catherine Conovers, daughter of Garrett 
and Margaret (Reger) Conovers, and an active 
member of the Reformed Church. In her family 
there were eleven children and of these the doctor 
was seventh in order of birth. 

Dr. Lowe has been for many years a valued 
member of various homeopathic medical associa- 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



563 



tions and societies, among them the American 
Institute of Homeopathy, the International 
Hahnemaunian Association, the New Jersey State 
Homeopathic Medical Society and the Lehigh 
Valley Homeopathic Medical Society. To all of 
these he has contributed valuable papers, treating 
of materia medica, therapeutics, clinical medicine, 
homeopathic philosophy, the collateral sciences, 
etc. , many of which may be found published in 
the past annual transactions of these medical 
societies. His attitude toward his brethren, of 
his own and other schools in the profession of 
medicine, is kindly and liberal. While in ethical 
observance, personally considered, he is altruistic, 
yet he is a strong believer in and a faithful ad- 
herent of the practical philosophy and the true 
principles of representative, homeopathic practice 
in medicine. 



(JOHN R. CARR, an honored old citizen of 
Hackettstown, has long been numbered 
Q) among the representative men of Warren 
County. His history is particularly interesting 
and instructive, and should prove an incentive to 
greater effort and more determined and persever- 
ing toil on the part of ambitious young men of 
this generation. From a condition of poverty 
and obscurity he rose by his inherent strength 
of character and diligence in business to a place 
of influence and respect in the community, to a 
comfortable fortune, with the refinements and 
luxuries of life which it commands. 

A sou of Philip and Elizabeth (Taylor) Carr, 
natives of New Jersey, our subject was born in 
the city of Newark, November 13, 18 16, and is 
therefore now well along in years, though he still 
possesses much of the fire and activity of his 
prime. He had very meagre advantages in an 
educational way, as he attended the district 
schools but a few months each year until he was 
about twelve years of age. At that time he took 



a position as a clerk and errand boy in a grocery, 
receiving but little besides his board up to his 
sixteenth year. Then he concluded to learn a 
trade, and apprenticed himself to a harness and 
saddle-maker in Newark, N. J., for the long 
peripd of six years. By working hard nights and 
over time he at last managed to save about $300 
and thus realized thoroughly the truth of that 
saying of one of America's rich men that "the 
first $100 is the hardest to gain." 

September 5, 1839, John R. Carr married Mary 
Matilda Fleming, by whom he had one child, 
James Smith Carr, born August 26, 1S43. The 
wife and mother died the following day; the son 
died October n, 1S7S. August 31, 1844, Mr. 
Carr married again, his second wife being Eliza 
Ellen Fleming, a distant relative of his first wife. 
By this marriage he had four children, namely: 
David Thurston, born June 26, 1846, died Febru- 
ary 20, 1847; Anna Aurelia, born June 19, 1849, 
now the wife of John H. Sharp and mother of 
one child, John; Ella Amelia, born October 20, 
1857, and October 19, 1882, was married to John 
H. Vescelius, by whom she had three children; 
and Catherine Adelia, born December 3, i860, 
now the wife of Alden E. Martin, M. D., by 
whom she has four children. 

On coming to this county our subject entered 
into partnership with Abraham Morgan in the 
foundry business in the town of Washington. At 
the expiration of three years he severed his con- 
nection with his partner, and going to Vienna, 
N. J., re-embarked in the same business with 
Harve}' Fleming. The following twenty-three 
years he prospered and added each year some- 
what to his accumulating fortune, though at 
times he met with reverses, such as come to all. 
He dissolved his connection with his partner 
about 1865 and carried on the business alone for 
a time. About 1867 he retired and came to 
Hackettstown, being at that time worth $12,000 
or thereabouts. 

For -a year or so he lived cp^ietly here, recuper- 
ating in mind and body, and then he decided to 
again engage in business. During the next four 
years he sold mowers and reapers, and then was 



564 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



for three years a bookkeeper in a lumber yard 
here. After another interval of rest from his 
labors, he started in the lumber business here 
with John H. Sharp, but after four years the 
partnership was dissolved and he carried on the 
business alone for about three years. He con- 
ducted the same very successfully until he sold 
out and permanently retired from the world of 
commerce. He was the president of the 
Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Association of 
Warren County for a number of years, and 
keeps up his interest in everything that relates to 
the progress of this place. In 1882 he was 
elected tax collector and has filled the office up to 
the date of this writing (1898), and in April of 
this year he was elected for a further term of 
three years. In addition to this he was for a 
quarter of a century a justice of the peace here. 
He has met all the requirements of these posi- 
tions, and has won an enviable reputation for 
fidelity to the least as well as the greatest of his 
duties. His right of franchise he has always 
used in favor of the nominees of the Democratic 
party. 



-♦>•£> 



pGjADTER S. FREEMAN, proprietor of a 
\A/ ^ ne c ' ru o store in Phillipsburg, Warren 
YV County, is thoroughly master of the drug 
business, and is a practical man of affairs. He is 
public-spirited and takes much interest in what- 
ever he believes will benefit the town in which he 
resides, and is popular with all who know him. 
He is independent in his political convictions, 
rather leaning toward the Democratic party plat- 
form, but preferring not to be bound by party ties. 
Though he has been offered the nomination for 
several local offices, he declined the honor, as he 
is not at all desirous of holding public positions. 
Dr. George W. Freeman, father of our subject, 
was an active practitioner in the village of Free- 
mansburg, Northampton County, Pa., for forty 
years or more, and died in May, 1898, aged sixty- 



six years. He was educated in Easton, graduat- 
ing from the medical department of the University 
of Pennsylvania about 1855. He studied under his 
uncle, Dr. C. C. Field, a celebrated surgeon of 
Easton. In Freemansburg, his native place, 
which was founded and named after his paternal 
grandfather (a native of Scotland, and a large 
land-holder in Freemansburg, many years ago), 
he was one of the most prominent citizens, and 
was frequently called upon to accept public offices 
of responsibility and trust. For fifteen years 
he was the burgess or mayor of the town, and for 
a long period was an elder in the Reformed Church 
there. His wife, Matilda M. , is a daughter of 
Major Seip, at one time a very influential person- 
age in Easton. Mrs. Freeman is still living and 
is sixty-two years of age. Of her four children 
all but one survive. The eldest, E. J., is a suc- 
cessful physician of Freemansburg, and Man-, 
the only daughter, is the wife of George W. Bach- 
man, a prosperous business man of the same place. 
Walter S. Freeman was born in Freemansburg, 
November 30, 1859, and after completing his pub- 
lic-school education entered Lehigh University, 
at Bethlehem, Pa., graduating therefrom in 1878. 
Then, with two hundred and twelve other appli- 
cants, he competed in an examination for a posi- 
tion in the drug store of Joseph P. Remington, 
who was a professor in the Philadelphia College 
of Pharmacy and whose drug establishment was 
the finest one in the Quaker city, it being situated 
on the corner of Walnut and Thirteenth streets. 
His clerks were selected with great care, and 
were generally made assistant professors in the 
college before alluded to, and thus it was a sub- 
stantial honor when the young man of whom we 
write was the one chosen to fill the vacant posi- 
tion, which he did acceptably for six months. 
At the end of that time he was unfortunately 
taken ill, and was obliged to give up his place. 
Later he was a clerk in a drug store in Bethle- 
hem, Pa., for about two years. After that he 
went to Philadelphia, and accepted a position in 
the wholesale drug house of Smith, Kline & Co., 
taking charge of their sundries department. At 
the same time he was preparing himself for a 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



565 



wider field of enterprise by attending lectures at 
the College of Pharmacy, from which institution 
he graduated in 1882. Soon after that event he 
came to his present place of business, and after 
working for the former owner, Dr. Lee, for about 
a year, purchased the establishment, which he has 
carried on ever since. 

February 28, 1883, Mr. Freeman married Jane 
P., daughter of John J. Unangst, ex-treasurer of 
Northampton County, Pa., and a director in a 
bank and other enterprises. Four children have 
been born to our subject and wife, named respect- 
ively: Eugene W., Mabel M., Edith J. and 
George P. Fraternally Mr. Freeman is a Mason, 
belonging to Delaware Lodge No. 52, F. & A. 
M. He is also a Knight of Pythias and is identi- 
fied with the Royal Arcanum and the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen. 



place, where he has since resided. During the 
late war he enlisted in Company D, Thirtieth 
New Jersey Infantry, in which he served for 
nine months and was then honorably discharged. 
On returning from the war, Mr. Race made his 
home with a brother for some time, meanwhile 
carrying on farm work. Forming a partnership 
with his brother, Jacob S., they purchased the 
farm where they have ever since resided, engaging 
in the raising of cereals and stock. Our subject's 
attention has been given closely to his chosen oc- 
cupation, and he has had little desire to mingle 
in public affairs. However, he keeps himself 
posted concerning politics. Fraternally he is con- 
nected with the local lodge of Odd Fellows, in 
which he has passed all of the chairs and is past 
grand. His family are Methodists and he him- 
self favors the doctrines of that denomination, to 
which he contributes generously. February 2, 
1867, he was united in marriage with Susan 
Hibler, daughter of William and Ellen Hibler, 
and they are the parents of one child, a son, 
William H. 



5JEORGE W. RACE. Identified with the 
_ farming interests of Hunterdon County 
J throughout almost his entire active life, 
Mr. Race has gained a large acquaintance among 
the residents of the county and is especially promi- 
nent in Franklin Township, where he owns and 
operates a farm. He is a son of Halloway H. 
and Charlotta (Seabold) Race. 

In Franklin Township, where he was born in 
1836, the boyhood days of the subject of this 
sketch were passed, his time being given to 
school duties, farm work and the usual sports of 
boyhood. Trained to agriculture, he naturally 
chose this as his life occupation and his subse- 
quent success shows that he did not err in his 
choice. In early manhood, with a desire to see 
the west, he went to Ohio and Iowa, where he 
was employed on farms for a year. However, 
he did not consider those states as superior to 
New Jersey in farming facilities and opportun- 
ities, and he therefore returned to his native 



; — j ».> ( ;. f : (j5;->£^«— • 



EHARLES F. ADAMS, one of the progress- 
ive young citizens of Junction, Hunterdon 
County, is employed as an engineer on the 
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, with 
which company his father has been also connected 
in the same capacity for forty-five years. In 
1892 he erected his pretty and well-appointed 
home in this town, and here he takes his chief 
pleasure, surrounded by his loving family. He 
is faithful and conscientious in the discharge of 
every duty devolving upon him, and is honored 
and respected by a wide circle of friends and ac- 
quaintances. 

Charles F. Adams was born August 10, 1863, 
in Junction, N. J., being a son of Ohio W. and 



5 66 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Laura A. (Harding) Adams. He was reared 
under the constant love and care of his parents 
and completed his education with a mechanical 
course at the John I. Blair Academy at Blairs- 
town, N. J. When he was nineteen, April 13, 
18S2, he took a position with the company which 
has since employed him, as a fireman under his 
uncle, Frank Adams. He remained in that ca- 
pacity until June 1, 1884, when he became fire- 
man with Thomas Toomy on a passenger engine, 
running to Binghamton, N. Y. October 14, 
1886, he was promoted to be engineer of the same 
engine, Carbon No. 16, his run being between 
Junction and Pocano Summit. He continued to 
make this trip for four years and a day, when he 
was placed in charge of engine No. 187, following 
in the footsteps of Mr. Toomy. A month later he 
was given express train No. 11, from Bingham- 
ton to Junction, and the Buffalo passenger No. 10 
back. This was on December 2, 1890, and he 
has since made this run. 

May 19, 1891, Mr. Adams met with a severe 
stroke of ill luck. Going north from Scranton to 
Binghamton, near Chinchilla, he suddenly dis- 
covered a freight car across the track, so close 
that he had but time to draw a long breath, before 
the collision came. He was on engine No. 158, 
the one his father had run for nine 3'ears, and 
though it was badly damaged, it was repaired 
and is still doing duty. Fortunately none of the 
passengers in the three coaches were injured, the 
worst hurt being the baggageman, who did not 
recover from the injuries he sustained. No 
blame, of course, could be attached to Mr. Adams. 
His present engine is the W. S. Sloan, No. 188, 
named in honor of the son of Vice-President 
Sloan of the railroad. He leaves Junction at 
10:20 P. M., arriving in Binghamton at 2:40 
A. M.; leaves there at 11:45 P- M., reaching 
Junction at 4:30 A. M. He is past chief of Gar- 
rett Bogart Division No. 337, Brotherhood of 
Locomotive Engineers, of Junction, and has filled 
various offices in the same. Since April, 1894, 
he has been second engineer of the division, and 
is insurance agent of it as well. He also belongs 
to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Mutual 



Aid Organization, and he is resident trustee of 
the Republic Savings and Loan Association of 
Newark, N. J. He was elected to the town 
council of Junction in 1898. Fraternally he is a 
member of the Masonic order, being identified 
with Lebanon Lodge No. 6, F. & A. M., of Glen 
Gardner. He uses his ballot in favor of Repub- 
lican principles and is active in the promotion of 
all local enterprises of merit. 

May 6, 1886, Mr. Adams married Carrie, 
daughter of Peter and Eliza (Wagner) Bowlby. 
The father has been with the Central Railroad 
shops here for many years, and is a valuable man 
to the company. To our subject and his esti- 
mable wife two bright little daughters have been 
born, Verna A. and Ruby G. 



ROBERT LINDSLEY, deceased, was long 
numbered among the representative citizens 
of Readington Township, Hunterdon County. 
For over fort}' years he and his faithful and 
affectionate wife shared each other's joys and 
sorrows, were strengthened and comforted by 
each other's society and together bravely met 
such reverses as come into the lot of every one, 
sooner or later. Now, in loneliness, his widow 
cpjietly awaits the summons that shall reunite 
them, and in the meantime treasures the memory 
of the past, the memory of her husband's care, 
love and constant watchfulness after her comfort. 
His was a busy, useful life, fraught with a thou- 
sand acts of kindness and genuine brotherly love 
to those with whom he came into contact, and by 
one and all he is held in fond remembrance. 

A sou of Daniel and Elizabeth (Connet) 
Lindsley, our subject was born in Hunterdon 
County, August 12, 1824, being the fifth in a 
family of seven children. Of the others, Phoebe, 
Harriet, Joseph, Lucy, John and Mary, but one, 
Joseph, is now living. The parents were both 
born and reared in Morris County, and the father 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



567 



was a farmer by occupation. Therefore the boy- 
hood of our subject was passed in the country, 
where he early became thoroughly familiar with 
all kinds of work pertaining to a farm. He 
learned the carpenter's trade, and followed that 
occupation chiefly during the rest of his life with 
very good success. He was always interested in 
all local improvements and in politics was a Re- 
publican. He died October 30, 1891, at the age 
of sixty-seven years. 

November 20, 1850, Mr. Lindsley married 
Eliza A. Reed, who was born in this township in 
the house where she is now living. She is a 
daughter of Ralph and Christiana (Eversole) 
Reed, who were from old and highly respected 
families of this district. The father was a soldier 
of the War of 1812. Four children were born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Lindsley, viz. : Sylvester L. , Joseph 
H., Frank W. and Anna M. (deceased.) Mrs. 
Lindsley is a member of the Reformed Church of 
White House. 



©AMUEL M. RITTENHOUSE, of Kingwood 
7\ Township, Hunterdon Count)*, was born in 
\~) 1840 upon the farm where he now resides. 
He is a son of Nathaniel Rittenhouse, also a na- 
tive of Kingwood, and, with the exception of a 
few years spent in Alexander, a life-long resident 
of this township. The occupation which he 
followed was that of a farmer and in it he met 
with considerable success, becoming known as 
one of the leading agriculturists of his com- 
munity. As a Democrat he took an active part 
in public affairs, always supporting the principles 
for which his party stood. He held membership 
in the Methodist Episcopal Church and con- 
tributed to the work of his denomination. His 
death occurred in 1872. He was a son of 
Nathaniel Rittenhouse, Sr. , also a native of 
Hunterdon County, and one of the largest far- 
mers of his day and locality. 



The mother of our subject was Sarah Taylor, 
a sister of Capt. A. S. Taylor, whose sketch is 
presented upon another page of this volume. 
Like her husband, she affiliated with the Method- 
ists in religion. She attained a very advanced 
age and at the time of her death lacked only four 
years of rounding out a full century. Of her 
nine children six are living, namely: Elizabeth, 
wife of Samuel S. Shuster; Mahlon, a resident of 
Everittstown, Hunterdon County; Ruth and 
Catherine, twins; Samuel M., of this sketch; and 
Levina, wife of William Clayton. 

On the farm where he was born our subject is 
engaged in the dairy business and general farm 
pursuits. The place comprises one hundred 
acres, divided into fields of convenient size for 
the pasturage of stock and raising of grain. 
Since it has come into his possession he has made 
a number of improvements in the buildings and 
has placed the land under excellent cultivation. 
His attention has been closely given to farm 
work and he has had little time for outside mat- 
ters, though he always maintains an interest in 
public affairs and in politics supports the Demo- 
cratic party. He attends the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, of which his wife is a member. 

In 1869 Mr. Rittenhouse was united in mar- 
riage with Miss Eliza A. Manning, daughter of 
Samuel and Sarah (Worthington) Manning. 
The three children born to their union are 
named as follows: William T., who resides at 
Mount Pleasant; Albert W.; and Bertha M., 
who is a very successful dressmaker. 



DWARD M. HEATH, now a resident of 
'3 Delaware Township, Hunterdon Count)', 
_ has been numbered among the leading edu- 
cators of this section of New Jersey for many 
decades, and has given the best of his life to the 
great work of instructing the young. His wide 
experience and general efficiency led to his being 



568 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



elected superintendent of the schools of this 
county in 1888, for a term of three years, and 
upon the expiration of that period he was re- 
elected for another term of like duration, and 
then for one year more. In politics a Democrat, 
he has been called upon to hold official positions 
by his party friends, and was clerk of Delaware 
Township for nine years; clerk of the board of 
freeholders three years and justice of the peace 
six years, and in every case gave complete satis- 
faction to all concerned. 

The birth of Edward M. Heath took place in 
Kingwood Township, this county, May 24, 
1837. His childhood was passed upon a farm, 
and his elementary education acquired in the 
local school. While but half way through his 
teens he obtained a school in his home neighbor- 
hood, and taught there for two terms with fair 
success. He then entered Madison University 
in New York state, being only seventeen at that 
time, and remained in that institution four terms. 
Returning to his native county, he conducted a 
school in Kingwood Township one term and then 
went to Darke County, Ohio, where he had 
charge of a school for two terms. Again return- 
ing to his native county, he took charge of a 
school at Locktown, where he taught for twenty- 
eight successive years. The measure of his suc- 
cess is clearly shown in the prominence his pupils 
have taken in the various walks of life. Since 
1895, when he vacated the office of county super- 
intendent, he has been living quietly upon a good 
farm of seventy acres which he purchased in 
Delaware Township. The personal worth and 
popularity of our subject were manifested when 
his pupils presented him with a handsome gold- 
headed cane upon his being appointed to the 
superinteudencv, and upon his leaving that office 
the teachers of the county made him a present of 
a fine solid gold watch. 

In 1858 Mr. Heath married Miss Annie B. 
Trout, daughter of Asher Trout. The only 
child of this union is Robert, who married Lizzie 
Rupell, and resides on the farm with our subject 
at present. Edward M. Heath has long been 
identified with the Christian Church of Lock- 



town, and is actively interested in religious 
growth and prosperity. In the Hunterdon 
County Historical Society he is a valued member 
and is, moreover, connected with the State His- 
torical Society and with the Patrons of Hus- 
bandry. 



30HN K. THOMPSON. For the past nine 
years this respected citizen of Readington 
Township, Hunterdon County, has been en- 
gaged in running a general store at Pleasant Run. 
August 12, 1889, he received the appointment of 
postmaster of this village and has since held the 
position to the full satisfaction of all concerned. 
He is stanch in his allegiance to the principles of 
the Republican party, with which organization 
he has been identified since he became a voter. 
In a business way he is doing well, and by his 
correct methods, unfailing courtesy to customers 
and desire to meet their wishes, he merits the 
large and increasing trade which he enjoys. 

The next to the youngest in a family of seven 
children of Aaron and Maria (Schomp) Thomp- 
son, John K. was born August 25, 1857. His 
brothers and sisters were as follows: Charity S., 
Elizabeth A., Sophia, Lanah K., David S. and 
Ina. The eldest, Charity S., David S. and Ina 
are all deceased. The parents were both natives 
of Readington Township, and were farmers by 
occupation. The father was also interested in a 
mercantile undertaking for a period. Both the 
Thompson and Schomp families have been num- 
bered among the leading ones of this section of 
the country for several generations, and have been 
noted for reliability, industry and patriotism. 

The early years of our subject were passed un- 
eventfully upon the old homestead, where he be- 
came perfectly familiar with all kinds of farm 
work. Like most of the boys of his neighborhood 
his education was confined to such as was to be 
obtained in the district school, and with this as a 
basis he has since added much information, the 




LEWIS MARSHALL TEEL. 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



57i 



result of observation and reading. Up to a few 
years ago he gave his whole time and energies to 
farming, and has since devoted himself to the 
management of his store. 

October 19, 1880, Mr. Thompson married Mat- 
tie E. Dilts, whose girlhood was spent in Somer- 
set County, N. J. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are 
members of the Reformed Church of Readington, 
and are actively interested in various kinds of 
religious and charitable endeavor. 



•»}2*M 



fi®<+C;«- 



-*— f- 



EWIS MARSHALL TEEL. We take great 
I C pleasure in presenting to the patrons of this 
L/ work a history of the gentleman whose name 
stands at the head of this article. From the posi- 
tion of a poor lad he rose by his own indomitable 
energy and well-applied talents to a place of in- 
fluence and respect in the community where he 
resided from 1852 until his death, on January 23, 
1898. His example is one that might well be 
followed by ambitious young men of the rising 
generation. For himself he found no royal road 
to fortune, his only watchword being work. Hav- 
ing recognized work as the foundation prin- 
ciple of success, he spared himself no reason- 
able amount of labor during his prime, and in his 
last days he was able to look back with just 
pride upon a well-spent and useful life. He did 
not strive solely for his own aggrandizement, but 
gladly extended a helping hand to those who 
needed such assistance and has been very liberal 
in his donations to charitable and religious work. 
A native of Blairstown, N. J., Mr. Teel was 
born August 14, 1829, a son of Lewis and Sarah 
(Silverthorn) Teel. His father, who was a life- 
long agriculturist, died in 1843; his grandfather, 
a native of Holland, emigrated to America and 
settled in Bucks County, Pa. Mrs. Sarah Teel 
was also of Dutch descent, and her death occurred 
in 1858. Of her eleven children four survive, 
viz.: Edmund, a resident of Trenton, N. J.; 



Chester L., of Brooklyn, N. Y. ; Andrew P., of 
Minneapolis; and Sarah, wife of George Wilson, 
of Pennsylvania. 

Among other disadvantages with which our 
subject had to contend was that of a meagre edu- 
cation. He was but twelve years of age when he 
took the position of clerk in the store of his uncle, 
Henry Teel, at Harmony, Warren County, and 
with him he remained for six )'ears. Then, going 
to Washington, he clerked until 1852, when he 
came to Phillipsburg. For a time he worked in 
the store of a Mr. Long and in 1859 embarked 
in the coal business on his own account. Six 
years later he became interested in the lumber 
and hardware business, also began taking con- 
tracts for the building of houses and other struc- 
tures. A large proportion of the residences in 
the town were put up by him, and at the time of 
his death he had the contract for much of the 
work in the new glass factories here. He helped 
to organize the Phillipsburg board of trade, of 
which he was president for eight years. The 
Standard silk mills, where about nine hundred 
hands are employed, were secured for this place 
largely through his efforts. Later he assisted in 
organizing the Phillipsburg silk mill, of which he 
was a director and the president at the time of 
his death. For thirty-one years he was agent for 
insurance companies here. 

Under Lincoln's administration Mr. Teel was 
postmaster of Phillipsburg. In 1856 he organ- 
ized the Republican party in this locality and 
ever afterward spent time and money in promot- 
ing the party welfare. In 1863 he joined the Ma- 
sonic order, being connected with Delaware Lodge 
No. 52, F. & A. M., at the time of his death. He 
was also one of the oldest members of Victory 
Council, Order United American Mechanics. For 
forty years he was an elder in the First Presby- 
terian Church of Phillipsburg, which he assisted 
in organizing, being one of the original trustees 
thereof. 

The first wife of Mr. Teel was Eliza C, daugh- 
ter of John Kline. She died in 1864, and of the 
five children born of the marriage the following 
survive: Jessie Benton, wife of John I. Blair 



25 



572 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



Reiley, a counsellor-at-law of Phillipsburg; Eliza- 
beth M., widow of Joseph V. Hoffman, of Phil- 
lipsburg; and Carrie H., wife of Charles S. Jones, 
a patent attorney of New York City. Novem- 
ber 18, 1867, Mr. Teel married Emma, daughter 
of Thomas Rogers, of North Wales, Pa. ; she is 
now living with her only child, Nellie S., who 
is the wife of Benjamin Crane, an active busi- 
ness man of Washington, D. C. 



'ERRY M. A' HERON, M. D. This worthy 
physician and surgeon of Junction, Hun- 
terdon County, enjoys a reputation for 
skill and competence in his profession that is not 
merely local, but is more nearly national. He is 
very frequently called into consultation in cases 
of unusual delicacy and importance, to distant 
states and counties, and has met with almost 
phenomenal success. His favorite field is that of 
surgery, in which he excels, and for sixteen 
years he has been employed in this capacity by 
the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. His 
record while with this corporation has been a 
matter of note, for of the sixty odd cases that 
have been referred to him for surgical operations, 
only one of them terminated fatally, that one hav- 
ing been previously acted upon by another sur- 
geon. 

As his name indicates, the doctor is a native of 
Ireland, and comes from one of the old and 
illustrious families of Barrymore, County Cork. 
His father, Dennis A'Heron, was a landed pro- 
prietor, and his mother was Hanora Mahoney in 
her girlhood, she being a sister of the Very Rev. 
Dean O' Mahoney and of Rev. Philip O' Mahoney. 
Terry M., of this sketch, is one of six children. 
His brother, John, was inspector-general of 
Queensland at the time of his death, in 1896. 
Another brother is inspector-general of her royal 
majesty's constabulary force in Dublin, and is 



also inspector-general of the Dublin district; Will- 
iam, who was a gentleman of means and leisure, 
is deceased. 

Referring to the death of our subject's brother, 
John A'Heron, a leading Irish paper said, under 
the heading of "A Distinguished Corkman:" 
"Travelers going to Middletown from Michaels- 
town by way of Glanworth, Fermoy and Castle- 
lyons will pass through scenery unequaled in 
Europe. All this strip of country is dotted with 
ruins of old castles or ivy-clad abbeys and de- 
serted cloisters, which speak of a people and 
faith that survive all time and ruins. How often 
has the writer gazed on those ruins with the 
moss-grown corridors and delicately chiseled win- 
dows that have withstood the storms of man and 
heaven for centuries. If you turn aside to some 
farmhouse you will find the man who occupies it 
is an A'Heron, and if you go on a little further, 
passing this belt of country, and inquire at some 
other place you will find the same surname. The 
fact is the country has been for centuries the 
cherished home of the clan of A'Heron. For 
many generations during the wars of the invaders 
they held this land, and although Cromwell 
visited them they still held their own." The 
castle A'Heron was built in the eleventh century, 
and was one of the last to capitulate to the army 
of Cromwell. The Cork Examiner of April 13, 
188 1, in commenting upon the death of Dean 
O' Mahoney, spoke of the family as being of "old 
sturdy Catholic stock that in the past days had 
given children to the church and patriots to the 
scaffold." 

Dr. T. M. A'Heron received a good general 
education, and studied medicine in some of the 
noted institutions of Europe and America. He 
was in the medical department of Yale College 
for three years, and took a post-graduate course 
in New York City. For a period he was con- 
nected with the staff of the Coombe Hospital in 
Dublin, and made a special stud}' of the diseases 
of the eye and ear in St. Mark's Ophthalmic 
Hospital in Dublin. 

In the rising of 1S66 the doctor was arrested 
for treason and was imprisoned for eleven months, 



PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 



573 



in consequence of which he came to America as 
soon as he was released. In 1874 he returned to 
Europe on a visit, and again in 1893 returned to 
the scenes of his youth for a brief time. This 
last trip was largely made in the interests of his 
professional work, for he went into many of the 
most celebrated hospitals in France, Germany 
and Ireland, observing the workings of their 
various systems, and gathering a valuable fund of 
information. He owns a comfortable home in 
the town of Junction, where he has made his 
headquarters since 1874. Prior to this he had 
been engaged in practice in New York City. He 
has built up a very extensive and lucrative prac- 
tice, and has invested considerable in real estate, 
owning land in Jersey City and elsewhere, and 
having other investments in railroad stock. He 
is independent in his political attitude, but is a 
firm believer in the principle of protection for 
American industries. He is an entertaining con- 
versationalist, as he has a fine command of lan- 
guage, and possesses much of the native wit and 
shrewdness that are usually accorded to the sons 
of Erin. 



gENJAMIN C. BIRD. Born, married, died, 
such is the brief record of most lives, but 
between the first and the last of these words 
that represent so much of the history of an in- 
dividual lie the differing motives, circumstances 
and characteristics that go toward making up the 
grand total of a personality. Back of each one 
of us lies ancestry and heredity, before us and 
around us, environment and daily struggle, and 
the manner in which we meet these grave problems 
is the measure of our true selves. The subject 
of this biography was a native of Hunterdon 
County, his birth having taken place on the old 
family homestead in Union Township. For a 
number of generations the Birds have been promi- 
nent in the upbuilding and development of this 
region, and have been noted for industry, upright- 
ness and fairness in all their transactions with their 



fellow-men. The parents of our subject were Jo- 
seph and Elizabeth (Dilts) Bird, the latter likewise 
of an old and representative family in these parts. 

Like his scriptural namesake, Benjamin C. 
Bird was the youngest of a large family, as, in 
fact, he had sixteen brothers and sisters. He was 
not given unusual advantages in the way of an 
education, for that very reason, as so many 
mouths to feed made it necessary that each child 
should early find a way of earning its own liveli- 
hood. He was bright and enterprising, and 
from his boyhood seemed planned to follow an 
agricultural life, for he was a sincere lover of 
nature and cared not at all for city life. He set- 
tled upon a farm when he reached his majority, 
cleared and cultivated the place, and made sub- 
stantial and valuable improvements. He was not 
a politician nor desirous of holding public office, 
but attended strictly to his own business, finding 
his chief pleasure in the home circle. His ballot 
was always deposited in favor of the nominees of 
the Republican party, and, in the midst of his 
other cares, he never neglected his duty as a citi- 
zen. Religiously he was a Presbyterian, be- 
longed to the church and aided materially in its 
support. He died as he had lived, strong in the 
Christian faith. 

In 1848 Mr. Bird married Sarah L- Bonnell, 
daughter of Charles F. and Deborah (Leigh) 
Bonnell, old and respected citizens of this count}'. 
Of the five brothers and sisters of Mrs. Bird, not 
one survives. They were named, Eliza A., 
Anna L., Samuel L. , Alexander B. and Ichabod 
L- To Mr. and Mrs. Bird ten children were 
born, four of the number having been summoned 
to the better land. Alexander B. is a respected 
citizen of Jutland, N. J.; Emma is the wife of 
William H. Hoffman, of Lebanon, N. J.; Isabel 
B.is the wife of William B. Haven, also a resident 
of Lebanon; Annie is Mrs. Walter Altimus, of 
Louisiana; Sadie D. married James R. Neal, of 
Plainfield, N. J.; and Carrie D. is living with her 
mother. They are both members of the Bethle- 
hem Presbyterian Church of this place and are 
loved and respected by a large circle of sincere 
friends and acquaintances. 



A 

Abel, Levi V 472 

Adams, Charles F 565 

/Adams, John 23 

Adams, John Quincy 39 

Adams, Ohio Whitney 465 

A'Heron, T. M., M. D 572 

Albert, M. H 163 

Albright, Morris R 415 

Alleger, John W 361 

Allen, Arthur 451 

Aller, Henry A 493 

Aller, Jacob J 444 

Altemus, J. W. & Bro 292 

Anderson, James 233 

Angle, George A 175 

Anthony, Stewart 326 

Apgar, Casper E 323 

Apgar, Francis A., M. D 338 

Apgar, James M 305 

Apgar, Marshall F 315 

Arthur, Chester A 99 

Ashcroft, James 291 

Ashcroft, Richard 277 

Aten, Henry 204 

B 

Bachman, John A 502 

Baker, Lansing B 539 

Baker, Hon. W. H 404 

Balderston, Theodore, D. D. S. .304 

Barber, Isaac 491 

Barker, George G 520 

Barry, William, Jr 254 

Bartles, William H., M. D 1S2 

Bartron, David 275 

Bea.cy, Hon. Daniel F 133 

Beatty, Jacob H 331 

Beatty, Lewis C 126 

Beaty, George W 362 

Beavers, John W 413 

Beesley, Edward M., D. D. S. . .259 

Belford, James 344 

Bell, George L, 213 

Bellis, David S 209 



INDEX 



Bellis, EmlyH 318 

Bellis, William 308 

Bercaw, Henry 503 

Bergen, Evert J., M. D 138 

Bergner, John C 437 

Best, George N., M. D 134 

Bigelow, Henry M 463 

Biggs, John J 140 

Bikle, Rev. Charles G 333 

Bird, Benjamin C 573 

Bird, Theodores 185 

Blackwell, Luke S 194 

Blackwell, Oliver 1 267 

Blair, D. C 171 

Blair, John I 119 

Bloys, Benjamin 154 

Bogardus, E., D. D. S 318 

Boileau, N. B., M. D 357 

Bowers, John 509 

Bowers, Robert Q 416 

Brewer, William H 154 

Brinton, Walter 404 

Britton, Josiah C 144 

Browne, Robert B., M. D 453 

Bruen, Rev. J. DeHart 135 

Buchanan, James 75 

Buckley, George J 424 

Bunnell, Frank P 295 

Burdette, R. Watson 473 

Burns, John 236 

Butler, Rev. Henry S., D. D. . .219 

C 

Callis, William G 160 

Carhart, Edmund H 542 

Carhart, Elmer E 346 

Carhart, Henry O., M. D 149 

Carhart, Samuel J 387 

Carpenter, Hon. John 485 

Carr, John R 563 

Case, Abram S 205 

Case, Asa 446 

Case, Daniel P 277 

Case, Joseph R 243 

Chamberlain, Judge O. P 428 

Clark, George 313 

Clark, George N 388 



Clark, Samuel 280 

Cleveland, S. Grover 103 

Cole, George W 235 

Cole, Morris A 306 

Cole, Robert A 306 

Connet, Andrew T 176 

Connet, Charles E 213 

Cook, Frank M., M. D 486 

Cooley, John W 287 

Cornish, Hon. Johnston 172 

Couch, George M 433 

Cox, JohnT 492 

Craig, Henry F 368 

Craig, William 285 

Cramer, David C 317 

Cramer, John C 455 

Crater, Andrew 194 

Cregar, Edgar 1 347 

Cregar, John D 367 

Creveling, C. F., M. D 476 

Creveling, W. S., M. D 518 

Cullen, Hon. Henry P 462 

Cummins, George W., M. D 531 

Curtis, George P 456 

Cutler, Augustus W 310 

D 

Dalley, George H 521 

Dalrymple, Frederick A 137 

Dalrymple, Peter V 259 

Dalrymple, William H 231 

Darmon, Charles H 243 

Davis, Harvey 513 

Dawes, George M 124 

Deats, Emley H 364 

Deats, Hiram, Jr 482 

Dehart, John W 536 

Demott, William P 239 

DeWitt, Moses 331 

Dilts, Jacob, Jr 271 

Divers, Etnmett J 233 

Dodd, Allen 452 

Duckworth Robbins 535 

E 

Egbert, Benjamin 356 

Eilenberg, John 427 



/ 



576 



INDEX. 



Ely, Reuben P 186 

Emery, David R 352 

Emmons, Jerome 560 

Eversole, W. D 445 

Ewing, James G 201 

Exton, Joseph H 464 

F 

Felmly, Charles F 395 

Fenwick, Robert, M. D 377 

Ferguson, Rev. W. P., Ph. D. .505 

Fillmore, Millard 07 

Firth, Joseph H 348 

Fisher, William W 300 

Fitts, John 146 

Fleming, Andrew ■ 223 

Fleming, Prof. George 309 

Forman, Duillius 173 

Foster, Hon. John R 161 

Fox, Jacob F 529 

Francis, Ebenezer 406 

Franks, John 372 

Freeman, Walter S 564 

Fritts, George 263 

Fritts, Stires 341 

Frost, Hon. Bartlett C 414 

Fulper, Theodore B., M. D 532 

G 

Gardner, George 1 195 

Gardner, Samuel W 195 

Garfield, James A 95 

Gary, James P 385 

Gebhardt, Godfried W 216 

Gibbs, LeviB 351 

Gibbs, Silas 347 

Grandin, John 381 

Grandin, John F., M. D 431 

Grant, Ulysses S 87 

Green, Anderson W 222 

Green, Augustus 261 

Griffith, John H., M. D 489 

Grim, Franks., M. D 270 

Gross, John G 200 

Gulick, Walter D 164 

H 

Hagaman, Lorenzo D 276 

Halsted, C. F., M. D 461 

Hardon, John R 468 

Haring, Abel B 425 

Harmer, Edward 394 

Harris, Hon. Henry S 355 

Harrison, Benjamin 107 



Harrison, William Henry 51 

Hart, Amos M., M. D 241 

Haver, John R 361 

Hawk, Wesley S 543 

Hayes, Rutherford B 91 

Hay hurst, Walter F 157 

Haynes, John C 293 

Heath, Edward M 567 

Heffernan, John 324 

Henderson, John W 314 

Hibshman, Rev. H. E 553 

Hibshman, Walter S., M. D....191 

Higgins, Jonathan 471 

Hildebrant, Jahile T 442 ' 

Hill, Ira 241 

Hinkel, Augustus 383 

Hockenbury, John S 557 

Hockenbury, William B 226 

Hoff , James 325 

Hoff, Peter C 188 

Hoffman, Aaron 205 

Hoffman, Eugene 558 

Hoffman, George W 481 

Hoffman, John D 412 

Hoffman, John W 252 

Hoffman, Luther 391 

Hoffman, Peter F 447 

Hoffman, William K 514 

Holcombe, Elijah 258 

Holcombe, John O 549 

Holcombe, Levi 281 

Honness, Benjamin F 198 

Hopewell, John B 153 

Hoppock, Rusling S 173 

Housel, Joseph 222 

Howell, H. B 354 

Hoyt, Charles S 458 

Huff, Ralph D 230 

Huffman, Barton 235 

Hulsizer, Mahlon 418 

Humphrey, Edward 408 

Hummer Brothers 550 

Hunt, Thomas Edgar, M. D 544 

Hutchison, Edwin 248 

I 

Iliff, William J 397 

Ingham, John. 294 

Ingham, J. Walter 322 

J 

Jackson, Andrew 43 

Jefferson, Thomas 27 

Johnson, Andrew 83 



Johnson, John C, M. D 

Johnson, William P 355\ 

Jordy , Jacob 137 

K 

Kelsey, A. Blair 457 

Kennedy, Robert H 396 

Kerr, Lorenzo S. D 149 

Ketcham, Josiah 401 

Killgore, Anthony 123 

King, Rev. Alvin A 262 ( 

Kip, Rev. Isaac L 530 

Kline, Henry M 316 

Kline, Jacob Q 226 

Kline, James R 210 

Kline, William, M. D 343 

Kluppelberg, Prof. F. W 452 

Knight, Moses D., M. D 546 

Kugler, George W 298 

Kugler, Hon. John 269 

Kuhl, Hon. Richard S 155 

Iv 

Laire, William R 4S1 

Lake, J.Ross 167 

Lake, W. Howard 214 

Larison, John D 263 

Larue, Paul C 299 

Latimer, Harry 312 

Latourett, Peter S 14S 

Laudenberger, Warren O 512 

Lauer, William 211 

Lauger, John A 365 

Lawshe, Hon. David 209 

Lear, Frederick F 224 

Lee, Francis Robert 3S2 

Leigh, Charles W 365 

Lequear, Thomas 150 

Lewis, Jacob K 376 

Lincoln, Abraham 79 

Lindabury, John S., M. D 508 

Lindsley, Robert 566 

Little, Porter C 559 

Lowe, John N., M. D 562 

Lunger, John -14 

Lunger, Samuel G 193 

M 

McCrea, William 250 

McDowell, Richard 178 

McKinley, William Ill 

McPherson, Theodore 328 









INDEX. 



577 



tfackey, Hon. EHas J 127 

Madison, James. 31 

Martens, Hon. George F., Jr. . .537 

Martin, Adam 454 

Martin, Aldeii E., M. D 504 

Martin, Hon. William H 253 

Maxwell Family, The 522 

Meagher, Michael 184 

Melick, Peter W 432 

Messier, Cornelius 363 

Milbern, Horatio P 386 

Millen, George H 549 

Miller, Henry II., M. D 506 

Miller, Theodore, M. D 384 

Mills, Clifford, M. D 229 

Monroe, James 35 

Montgomery, Robert A 199 

Moore, Edward H., M. D 267 

Moore, Gideon 168 

Moore, Hon. James E 327 

N 

Nash, A. B., M. D 535 

Mason, Hon. Ezra 512 

'Maylor, EHas V 519 

Munn, John H 483 



o 

I'Niel, William 129 

isniun, Harry C. C 492 



ark, H. Eugene 166 

ark, Mrs. Maria 510 

edrick, George C 271 

endreigh, Victor C 504 

erdoe, John C 444 

vjrry , Lewis S 413 

ickell, Adam B 547 

ickell, Baltis 372 

ierce, Franklin 71 

ierson, Clark 125 

ilgiim, Prof. Y. C 352 

plk, James K 59 

lotts, Lewis C 206 

rail, Abraham J 251 

' all, William B 23S 

rail, William V 273 

e, Roberts 286 

>. Theodore 474 

" Hiam W., M. D 557 



\ 



Q 

Quick, Caleb F 240 

R 

Race, George W 565 

Ramsey, Alvah L 4S4 

Ramsey, Joseph 495 

Reading, John W 321 

Reading, Capt. Richard B 247 

Reed, Levi 242 

Reese, J. Mitchell, M. D 342 

Reeves, Andrew J 382 

Reeves, John C 185 

Reger, William H 542 

Reigle, Erasmus L 417 

Rhodes, Rev. J. B. J 547 

Rice, Forrest A 158 

Richards, H. R 249 

Rinehart, Charles A 407 

Rinehart, George M 332 

Rittenhouse, Albert H 289 

Ritteuhouse, Charles 507 

Rittenhouse, Hiram 494 

Rittenhouse, Judson B 272 

Rittenhouse, Oscar 234 

Rittenhouse, Samuel M 567 

Roberson, Andrew B 290 

Roberson, David 196 

Robinson, Elijah R 311 

Rockafellar, Prof. David 467 

Rotnine, George L., M. D 143 

Roseberry, Joseph M 421 

Rowland, Rev. S.J 378 



Schenck, Dennis V. L 191 

Schomp, John 274 

Schomp, Peter G 130 

Schomp, Peter P 202 

Schubert, A. A., D. D. S 232 

Schultz, Hon. Irwin W 423 

Scott, William L 353 

Servis, Howard, M. D 528 

Severs, Elias C 167 

Shafer, Richard D 237 

Shields, Capt. John 540 

Shillinger, George L 375 

Shinier, Joseph R 478 

Shipman, Hon. George M 371 

Shipman, Jehial G 441 

Shurts, Peter S 538 

Silvara, Joseph W., M. D 221 



Skillman, Charles A 165 

Smith, Augustus K 145 

.Smith, Hon. Charles B., M. D..129 

Smith, George B 561 

Smith, Seymour R 297. 

Snyder, Christie B 174 

Snyder, George W 394 

Snyder, Q. E., M. D 403 

Specht, Jacob A 253 

Specht, John 268 

Sproul, Obadiah H., M. D 212 

Srope, Peter B 288 

Staats, Peter 248 

Still well, George 199 

Stillwell, John V 257 

Stockton, Samuel 411 

Stout, Simpson S 257 

Stryker, Simeon P 561 

Sutphin, Jacob S 244 

Sutphiu, Lewis 250 

Sutphin, William 303 

Sutton, Erastus W 527 

Sutton, George B 402 

Sutton, Howard 282 

Suydam, Asa 128 

Suydam, Enoch B 322 

Swarer, Theodore F 139 

T 

Taylor, Archibald S 500 

Taylor, Lewis H 555 

Taylor, L. DeWitt 156 

Taylor, Zachary 63 

Teel, L. Marshall 571 

Terriberry, Stewart 296 

Thatcher, Amos 127 

Thomas, Edward 297 

Thomas, Wilson 260 

Thompson, Aaron J 202 

Thompson, John K 568 

Titman, George W., M. D 279 

Titman, William B 517 

Todd, John 422 

Tomson, Emanuel 230 

Totnson, Sanford R 388 

Tomson, William C 225 

Trimmer, Anthony M 136 

Trimmer, Hon. L. H 373 

Tyler, John 55 

V 
Vail, Abram R 345 



1 



578 

Vail, William H., M. D 499 

Van Bnren, Martin 47 

Van Derbeek, J. Newton .' 466 

Vanderbelt, Stanford 273 

Van Dolah, Asher W 239 

Van Horn, Alvin A 471 

Van Sickel.Theodore D., D.D. S . 192 

Van Sickle, Col. Andrew 475 

Van Sickle, Conover 490 

Van Sickle, James 448 

Van Syckel, Joseph 485 

Vansycle, Sylvester, M. D 393 

Veit, Jacob 196 



INDEX. 

Vescelius, John H 496 

Voorhees, Hon. Peter 443 

Vosseller, Elias 147 

W 

Warman, Lambert T 122 

Warne, Edward 291 

Washington, George 19 

Weller, John B 264 

Wildrick, Hon. Isaac 434 

Will auison, Reuben A 159 

Williamson, Joseph 278 






Wilson, Hon. L. Milton 30 / 

Wilson, Samuel H 42' 

Wooden, Ludlow P 42( 

Wooden , William W 43( 



Yetter, Andrew 164] 

Young, Alpheus C 39 

Young, Benjamin Egbert 47 

Young, G. Curson, M. D 17 7 

Young, Rev. George H 147 

Young, Peter C, M. D 16! 



PORTRAITS 



< Adams, John 22 

Adams, John Ouincy 38 

■ Allen, Arthur 450 

Arthur, Chester A 9S 

> Beatty, Hon. Daniel F 132 

Beatty, Jacob H 330 

• Bellis, David S 208 

Blair, D. C 170 

- Blair, John I _ 118 

Buchanan, James 74 

i Butler, Rev. Henry S., D. D 218 

Cleveland, S. Grover 102 

Craig, William 2S4 

Fillmore, Millard 66 

Fritts, Stires 340 

■ Garfield, James A 94 

Gibbs, Levi B 350 

Gibbs, Mrs. Levi B 350 

' Grandin, John 380 

i Grandin, John F., M. D 430 



. Grant, Ulysses S . . 86 

v Halsted, C. F., M. D 460 

Harrison, Benjamin 106 

/ Harrison, Wm. Henry 50 

Haver, John R 360 

■ Hayes, Rutherford B 90 

Hibshman, Rev. H. E 552 

Higgins, Jonathan ... 470 

Hoffman, Luther 390 

1 Jackson, Andrew 42 

Jefferson, Thomas 26 

Johnson, Andrew 82 

•Johnson, John C, M. D 180 

, Ketcham, Josiah 400 

Laire, William R 4S0 

>• Lincoln, Abraham 7S 

i McKinley, William 110 

> Madison, James 30 

Mills, Clifford, M. D 228 

Monroe, James 34 



/Moore, Edward H., M. D 26( 

. Nash, A. B., M. D 534; 

,/ Pierce, Franklin 7t 

.Polk, James K 5if 

■ Reading, John W 321* 

'■ Reading, Capt. R. B 24l> 

Romine, George L., M. D 14- 

■ Roseberry, Joseph M 42P 

i Shipman, Hon. George M 370 

Shipman, Jehial G 440 

v Stockton, Samuel 4B 1 

' Sutphin, William 30 2 

I Taylor, Zachary 6 2 

> Teel, Lewis Marshall 57° 

. Titman, William B 51 6 

" Tyler, John 5 4 

t Vail, William H., M. D 49 ? 

' Van Buren, Martin •)'' 

Washington, George IP 




• ■ 



: / 



